The Attraction Of Haruhi Suzumiya
by Hejin57
Summary: There's only one girl who can change reality whenever she gets ticked off. And when that girl begins to fall in love with a certain someone, the cosmos themselves are at risk. Haruhi Suzumiya is still clueless of all of this, of course. R & R!
1. Chapter 1

**Well, this is my first ever story based on an anime! That's an achievement for me, especially since I'm relatively new to anime in general. I decided to do something romantic again, because I just enjoy writing that. This is the first of an undecided amount of stories that I will write. They all connect to one another at certain points, but I'm going to try and write them all so you can just pick up and read on like one of the novels. This is the first story in "The Continuance of Haruhi Suzumiya."**

Disclaimer: The author of this story does not and will never own any of the characters mentioned. This includes Haruhi, of course. God knows this sick pervert wants to get his hands on her badly! But that's off-topic. On to his story!

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_Hejin57 Presents_

_**~~~~~~~The Attraction Of Haruhi Suzumiya~~~~~~~  
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For once, I've been bored.

The last few days have reminded me so much of my life before the SOS Brigade. Those were the days.

The good old boring days, that is.

Since the day I met Haruhi, my once normal boring life exploded with the kind of weirdness you would find in American television. Haruhi Suzumiya pulled me into her life like I was some helpless fish, and she did the same to Koizumi, Nagato and especially Asahina-san.

Haruhi needs payback for all the things she's done to Asahina-san. Forcing a girl to wear demeaning outfits would make anyone's blood boil.

But to tell the truth, the last few weeks have been uneventful, to say the least. Haruhi surprisingly hasn't come up with some excuse for us to search the city on the weekends, so we haven't really seen all that much of each other outside of school. Nowadays, the club meetings for the SOS Brigade mainly involve Nagato reading one of her novels, Koizumi greedily drinking up Asahina-san's tea, and Haruhi yelling at me to do something useful with the SOS Brigade webpage. I assume that things like that wouldn't change much.

I checked my watch, and I find that it's 8 PM. It's a Saturday night, and with nothing to do, I figured riding around on my bike was the only thing that would kill enough time.

Well, I could have always dug up some old Pokemon games. I could just go home and sit on my bed, training my Squirtle like I did when I was 10. But when I was 10, I still had the notion to believe in Santa Claus. Pokemon is still a fun game though…

But alas, I chose to continue riding around on my bike. There are almost no people on the streets, so I didn't have to worry much about bumping into anyone as I cycle like a maniac. I begin to ride a little faster, trudging up the hill that I take to go to school everyday. When I got to the top, I let gravity do the work for me.

The wind blew by my hair as I sped downward. I have to say, I kind of miss being a kid. Now I'm older, and stuck being bossed around by Haruhi…

She technically is God, though. At least, that's what Koizumi says all the time. I think he just tries to act like a kiss-ass to her, but he thinks he can hide it with that smile. I swear, that guy definitely is hiding something. He smiles way too much.

But the fact that Haruhi has the near-omnipotent power of a deity, and she herself has no idea of it, makes me wonder. I mean, she can do whatever the hell she wants, and she doesn't even know it! But like Koizumi has said to me time and time again, it would probably still be a bad idea to tell her. The fact she could cause the end of the world without second thought should scare me, but somehow, it does not. Maybe I was just as crazy as she is.

At this point, I was cycling around for no real reason. The night air is cool, and the streetlights cast a warm, friendly light on the sidewalks. I can see a lot of the shops are closing, and the streets seem to be getting emptier by the minute. I should probably be getting home.

Yet I remained glued onto my bike.

There's little for me to go home to. My parents are away for the day. Frankly, I forgot where they went. I just know they wouldn't be home till tomorrow, and I have to watch my sister till then. Well, I watch her till she goes to sleep at her conveniently early bedtime. So, riding around is all I can do. I wonder what Haruhi is doing right now….

No. I did not just think that!

I did not just propose a thought that might suggest I'm interested in what Haruhi Suzumiya is doing this very moment. There is no reason I would want to be spending time around her. All I ever get are commands and reasons why she as the Brigade Chief can boss me around. Not really my idea of a fun time. She's the last person I'd want to see right now.

But for as much as I complain about her, in all the time that time I've spent being dragged around by Haruhi, I must admit that I almost kind of enjoyed it. Her bizarreness has lit up my once boring life. I might sound like I hate Haruhi Suzumiya and her SOS Brigade, but the truth is, I probably couldn't survive without it.

As I bike towards North High, mostly because I'm beginning to get bored again, I found myself thinking about Haruhi even more.

Just think about what she can do when her emotions drastically change. She could destroy this world at any moment and not think twice. All it takes is getting her in a bad enough mood. The thing is, she hasn't caused the end of the world yet yet. Well, it could be she has actually ended the world multiple times already, and it's just that we humans haven't noticed.

How did I get involved with a girl like her again?

Koizumi says she "chose" me. But why? For what purpose? These are questions that need answering. When I was not so tired, maybe.

So, after sitting on my bike at the school corner for a few minutes, I started to head home. It's about 9:30, and I didn't see anyone else on the street as I rode along. Strange, it's quiet and empty all of a sudden.

At this point, I've returned home, and I am putting my bike away in and yawning loudly as I do so. God, I was tired. Maybe I've been thinking way too much. Or maybe I was getting bored out of my mind. Now I think I was really starting to miss the awkward excitement that being in the SOS Brigade provided.

I walk slowly, mostly not to wake up my sister. The last thing I need is her bothering me for the next few hours. I just wanted to go to sleep. I guess being extremely bored out of your mind does that to you. And so, I was crawling into bed, my pillow suddenly becoming very comfortable. My eyes are starting to get heavy, and I can feel sleep coming on. Maybe tomorrow will be more exciting. But now, I was going to fall right as-

A loud noise comes from down the hallway, jolting me up and nearly scaring me half to death. Well, I wasn't all that afraid! Still, it made me almost fall out of my bed.

Looking around, I can hear the sound continuing. It sounds like someone is knocking on my door. But whoever it is, they're knocking with enough force to knock down a building. Just who the hell is it?

The knocking continues, and now I was running to reach the front door. If this person keeps it up, they'll definitely wake up my sister. I swear…..this person better have a good reason for knocking on my door at this time….

Finally, I reach the door, only to hear the person knocking even louder.

"Hold on one second!" I yelled angrily, undoing all the locks as I hastily open the door. It only takes me a few seconds to see the person in front of me and come to an utter realization of why they had the nerve to bash my door in with their knocking.

It is none other than Haruhi Suzumiya.

"Hello, Kyon!" she says loudly to me, her voice ringing in my ears like a school bell. I sigh, noticing that she's carrying an assortment of things one might use for camping. A sleeping bag and a pillow are under one of her arms, and she's carrying what looks a plastic bag full of items as well.

"What are you doing here? I'm trying to go to sleep! Don't you know what time it is?" I say, and Haruhi gives me a questioning look. She responds in an indignant tone.

"What, it's only 10 o'clock. Besides, as Brigade Chief, it's my duty to-"

"Enough with the Brigade. I would like at least one day where I don't have to hear about it." I tell her, interrupting her sentence. "What do you want? I'm not in the mood to go on another city quest right now."

"I'm spending the night at your house, Kyon! It's necessary for the Brigade Chief to bond with her lackeys!" Haruhi says, her face practically glowing in the night.

Now, most guys would probably be thrilled out of their mind to have a girl sleep over. When you're in high school, there are a lot of other things, on your mind besides role-playing games and manga.

Unfortunately, I'm not too much like most guys, and Haruhi is definitely not like most girls. My initial reaction was as such.

"Are you out of your mind? What gives you the right to just declare that you're sleeping over here? You didn't even ask!"

Typical response from me. But as always, attempting to argue with Haruhi doesn't usually work.

"I'm of much higher rank than you, so you have to obey my orders! I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Besides, it's not like you have anything else to do." she replied, ignoring my protests. If I wanted to tell her the truth and probably earn a penalty, I would tell her that sleep would have constituted as something else I wanted to do.

Now, I was standing in middle of the doorway, looking down, and thinking hard about my choices. I could just slam the door in Haruhi's face. But that might lead to undesirable consequences in the future. So, sighing heavily, I look up at Haruhi, my voice clearly less than enthusiastic as I speak.

"Fine. Come inside then. Just don't be too loud."

Haruhi gave me an approving smile, before breezing right past me as she enters my home. I expect her lack of politeness, and I guess I've gotten used to it. The fact that she's already going through things and poking her nose in places it didn't belong tells me one thing.

It's going to be one long night.

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**EDIT: I'm beginning to fix and tune up all the chapters to this story. If you notice differences, it's because I'm trying to add more detail and fix the mistakes in grammar.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, I really didn't expect people to actually like this story! So, I have decided to continue it! Much bigger and better than before!**

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Haruhi Suzumiya has always been the most eccentric girl I've known, but there are times where I can truly be amazed at some of the things she does. Walking into someone's house without asking is one thing, but searching through all their personal items and belongings without asking is another completely. And that was the case with Haruhi. She just began going through nearby drawers, closets, you name it. And all without even asking my permission! Being the one who was carrying all her bags and such, my face was just looking more and more annoyed by the second.

"Why are you tearing through all my things?" I said, dropping her bags on the wooden floor as I attempted to control the tone of my voice. Haruhi looked back at me almost innocently, giving the kind of face that made it look like I was the one being an asshole. And hey, maybe I was. But she was just going through the contents of my house, and frankly, it was beginning to piss me off.

"I'm just searching for anything strange or unusual! It's part of my duty as SOS Brigade Chief!" she told me flatly, and all I could give was a sigh in response. Haruhi just merely went back to searching through one of the closets in the hallway, pushing aside various clothes and junk like she was mining for gold. I really doubt she'll find anything strange in there….

But of course, Haruhi has to contradict me somehow. I could see her eyes suddenly light up as she reached a hand up to the top shelf of the closet, and she had obviously found something. She began pulling it out, and when I saw it, my face turned to a look of utter horror.

Or more like, utter embarrassment. When Haruhi finally pulled her hand out from the mustiness of the hallway closet, I could see she was holding what looked like a magazine. A very private magazine. One that was never supposed to be found!!!!!

My face was already flushing red, and Haruhi was looking at me like I had three heads. She awkwardly flipped through the magazine for a few minutes, prolonging my torture. Finally, she put my private magazine back up on its musty shelf in the hallway closet, closing the door without even saying a single word. I was kind of speechless too. Every second that she held it in her hand was piercing into my soul like a sharp icicle.

Finally, Haruhi broke the awkward silence.

"Well, I'm not so surprised, Kyon. But that doesn't really count as strange phenomena, so.…"

"It's not even mine okay!" I lied, and the red blush still apparent on my face. The last thing I needed was some strange girl going through my things, and the fact she'd somehow managed to find my private magazine, well, that just made me wonder. Before she could say another word, I snatched it away from her grip. Haruhi didn't try to take it back from me, probably because she wasn't as interested in barely clothed women as most teenage boys my age were.

Nevertheless, a change of subject was needed.

"So where exactly are you planning on sleeping, Brigade Chief?" I asked her quickly, narrowing my eyes. At the sound of my question, a stream of thoughts began to pour into my head. I was already imagining Haruhi wanting to sleep in the same bed as me, being the strange girl she is. I didn't know why this came to my mind, but it made me shiver a bit nonetheless. Even still, it wasn't so much a bad thought. She is beautiful, as much as I didn't want to really admit it.

Once again, I did not just think that! Why must my thoughts veer off in such directions?

"I'll sleep on the floor of your room. I don't mind, Kyon. My sleeping bag is comfortable enough." Was the answer that Haruhi gave me, snapping me out of my thoughts and surprising me at the same time. Suzumiya-san was always prone to these normal outbursts, but every time they would occur, they still confounded me. I picked up her bags, feeling slightly chivalrous.

"I guess I'll carry these for you. My room's this way; just try to stay quiet."

Haruhi followed me, walking through my house like she'd been living in it for years. I wondered if her parents knew where she was, and what she was doing. Come to think of it. I haven't even seen her parents. Weird…..

What was really surprising me was the fact my sister had not woken up yet. From all the sound me and Haruhi were making, it's miraculous I wasn't already hearing "Kyon-kun!" over and over again from my little sister. When I thought about it, I had a feeling my parents wouldn't be so happy about me having a girl spend the night while they weren't home…

Ah, what they didn't know wouldn't kill them.

Not surprisingly, Haruhi had already sped past me before I could even enter my own room. Being the one carrying all her stuff, I had the notion to drop it all and let her carry it herself. But, being the supposedly nice guy I am, I sighed, following her.

As such, she wasted no time searching through my room just as she had done with the closets before. She began to randomly open drawers, her eyes moving back and forth like she was scanning everything she could see. Haruhi pulled out books from my shelves, opening them up and randomly flipping through them quickly before tossing them aside. I had just about had it, dropping her stuff as my face strained from the utter annoyance.

"Can you please stop invading people's things? Don't you understand the meaning of privacy?" I tell her, my voice as firm as I can make it. Not to my surprise, Haruhi once again gives me that look of innocence as she turns to face me.

"Kyon, don't you understand the purpose of the SOS Brigade? It's to connect with all the aliens, espers and time travelers in the world. That, and finding strange stuff. And that includes going through your stuff to find it. It's not like I haven't already gone through my own things…" she responded, before turning around again to continue looking through my room closet.

Haruhi didn't really understand the difference between searching through one's own personal belongings compared to searching through someone else's. Now, I could argue this fact with her, but I know better. As Koizumi mentions all the time, she has to always be content for the world to be in order. I've seen what happens when she's not content. Closed spaces start to appear, and the less happy she gets, the bigger they grow. So, we have to tailor to her every need. It's either that, or Ragnarock for the world.

It's scary that I'm not joking about something like this. It is a very harsh reality.

And so, I remain silent, waiting for a few minutes, knowing that there is nothing of the strange variety that can be found in my closet. After a few more minutes of searching, Haruhi seems to finally give up, turning around to look directly at me, her hands at her hips.

"Well, I can't find anything worthwhile around here! Your house is too normal, Kyon!" Haruhi barked at me, and I merely rolled my eyes. Haruhi looks from side to side for a few seconds, like she's looking for something. Suddenly, she gets right up in my face, causing me to almost step back because of how close to me she suddenly is.

"So what now, Kyon?" she asks me, and for once, I really didn't have much of a response. The question is obviously alluding to the fact that Haruhi wants to be entertained in some way. The problem is, I couldn't think of anything. You know, I can think of so many things Taniguchi could say about this particular situation. To him, the fact I'm alone with this beautiful and eccentric girl in my own bedroom, well….

I mean, forgetting that again…

"Well…there's not much to do. And I'm kind of tired so…"

"Ok, Kyon. You have a point. Even the Brigade Chief needs some rest after doing so much work for the day!" She replies, smiling in my face as I merely groan quietly. The fact she thinks that her job as Brigade Chief is so hard doesn't surprise me at all. But then again, not much surprises me when it comes to Haruhi.

"Now get out, Kyon! I have to get changed for bed!" Haruhi yells at me, her facial expression shifting in a flash. Before I could even react, I find that I was being thrown out of my own room. I can feel myself tumbling on the carpet in the hallway, and before I can even pick my head up, my door has already closed shut behind me. I sigh as always, brushing myself off as I stand up.

I've yet to understand Haruhi Suzumiya completely. Even after knowing her for so long, she's like a big puzzle with a lot of the pieces missing. I think I may have filled in only a few of the pieces. While people like Koizumi, Asahina-san and Nagato seem to know so much about her, I still get left in the dark.

Having decided Haruhi has taken over my room for the time being, I decide to go brush my teeth and wash up. My thoughts mainly revolve around a breadth of topics, one of them being what exactly Haruhi is doing in my room.

Wait, I was not lying that much to myself. Like any normal boy, my mind is imagining Suzumiya-san changing. It's not much of something I can control, but they're not necessarily bad thoughts.

God…I'm thinking way too much like Taniguchi…

Going back to my room, I find the door is open, and Haruhi is now in her sleeping bag, looking up at the ceiling like it's a star-filled sky. I raised an eyebrow as I walk by her, noticing she's wearing what looks like a nightgown. My eye begins to wander, but I turn quickly, crawling into my bed. I was too tired at this point to change out of my clothes.

So, sleep is now the only thing in my mind. I was not too estranged by the fact Haruhi is sleeping right at the foot of my bed. Right now, being lost in dreamland is what I want.

But things never usually go your way most of the time. It only takes a few seconds for Haruhi to sit up, her head down as she speaks.

"Don't you ever think about what's beyond Japan, Kyon? There's such a big world out there…and so much of it to be explored…" she says, and I have the notion to ignore her and pretend to be asleep. Alas, I didn't.

"You mean more strange stuff? Besides people from the United States…I really doubt there's anything that might be actual unusual phenomenon. I stopped believing in it all a long time ago." I respond, lying of course. But what else am I supposed to say? "Haruhi, you're actually God and you just don't know it. And there are espers, time travelers and aliens out there. In fact, we've got one of each in the SOS Brigade!

But I couldn't say anything, or risk the world's safety. Damn Koizumi! Why the hell does he always have to be right?

"I don't know…I've just been thinking a lot lately. The SOS Brigade is so small compared to the whole world…" Haruhi says, and I rolled over for a moment so I was facing her, only to find that she's moved herself right up to my face. The fact I can see she's in a nightgown which accentuates her figure a bit, plus that she's as close to my face as Koizumi can sometimes get, makes me blush more than ever.

That's right. I was blushing.

"Wouldn't it be great if we could spread the SOS Brigade all over the world?" she loudly says in my face, as she flashes a smile. In my blushing, I seriously couldn't help but notice Haruhi's looks. Not that I've ever looked at her like that or anything! I just can say that she is quite beautiful…

"Yeah, so you can boss around everyone else?" I tell her, a hint of sarcasm in my voice, but Haruhi seems to ignore it, suddenly standing up from her sleeping bag, a familiar glint in her eyes. She's pointing forward for no apparent reason, and her voice is booming throughout my room.

"Think about the bigger picture, Kyon! We could have a US Branch, and a European branch, and maybe a branch in Australia…..the possibilities are endless! There could be an SOS Brigade in every school all over the world!"

My response is turning around to ignore her, but she can't seem to get the hint, and she keeps on speaking.

"…And so every single SOS Brigade will be dedicated to searching for unusual phenomenon like ours, and it'll be mandatory for them to all have one mascot! Someone like Mikuru-chan is essential! Of course, I'll be the International Brigade Commander of all of the SOS Brigades, since we did start it……Kyon! Are you even listening to me?" she yells, before grabbing me by the back of my shirt and roughly pulling me off my bed. I land on the floor, and Haruhi is staring down at me like I've committed treason. Her eyes narrow as she speaks directly to me, and she's poking at my chest.

"Listen, Kyon! You need to pay attention to me! Give some respect to your Brigade Chief!"

At this point, I'm extremely tired, and my limit is reaching its peak. Sure, being bossed around by Haruhi can be tolerable sometimes, but when it's like this, well…

"You're so stupid sometimes, Kyon! I wonder why I didn't choose a more competent first member for the SOS Brigade…" Haruhi said, and finally, something snaps in my head.

"Enough with the Brigade! You're the one who forced me to join the stupid club in the first place! I didn't even have a choice in the matter! Now please, Haruhi, can I just get some sleep?" I nearly yelled back at her. In the instant I said those words; the expression on her face seemed to break. She started to look a little like Nagato, in that she wasn't smiling, or frowning, or anything at all. She spoke softly to me as I looked up at her.

"Fine. I guess you can just get to sleep then."

Haruhi's mood seemed to drop rapidly from that moment on, and as I crawled back into my bed, I could see she was turned away from me, probably staring at the wall. What I did wasn't really so nice, but being tired as I was, I think I could have cared less at the moment. I was used to being bossed around so much by Haruhi, so I figured she needed to be challenged by someone else at least once in a while.

I didn't even take the time to say good night. My eyes were heavy enough that once I had turned over, pulling my covers over me, I could see my vision darkening as my eyes closed. The last thing I remember before falling asleep was only one word that I thought I heard Haruhi said.

"Kyon…"

After that, there was nothing at all. Just the blackness of sleep.

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**EDIT: Chapter Fix**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm really amazed by all the feedback I'm getting for this story. It's inspiring me! So, here comes the next chapter!  
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Sleep is usually a different experience every time it occurred for me. There are times when I had vivid dreams, and other times where blackness is all I can remember when I finally wake up. Last night was one of those times. The blackness of my dreams was no more vibrant than it usually was. It was still pitch black. I woke myself up at about 10 AM, the sun outside shining bright through my window shades. I remembered no dreams of any sort from the previous night.

I put a hand on my forehead, rubbing my eyes and yawning as I forcefully continue to wake myself u[. The memories of the other night were faint, but my eyes jolted open when I remembered that Haruhi Suzumiya had actually spent the night in my bedroom. I frantically moved in my covers, looking over from my bed to where Haruhi was sleeping.

Or more like, where she had been sleeping. From what I could see now, she was completely gone. Every one of her things had been packed up and taken with her, and there was no trace of her having slept there at all. If I didn't know any better, it would have seemed like she was in a rush to leave.

Suddenly, I remembered what I said to her the other night. I'd insulted her by telling her that I had never had a choice in being part of the SOS Brigade.

Now that I think of it, it was a really stupid move. Stupid, stupid, stupid! For once, Haruhi actually has a good reason to insult my intelligence. Now that I've pissed her off, chances are closed spaces are going to appear more than ever. Or worse, she could decide she didn't like me anymore in this world, and wipe me out of existence!

I probably shouldn't think about the possibilities. They scare me a little too much....

Getting out of bed, I realize that I have a whole Sunday ahead of me before I would actually see Haruhi or the rest of the Brigade again. As I begin to change my clothes, I can already the words "Kyon-Kun! It's time to wake up!" coming down from the hallway. Sometimes it can get quite irritating when your sister decides to function as your personal alarm clock, especially when you're already awake. Poking my head out of my room, I gave my little sister a glare as she smiles to me.

"I'm already awake! Go play with Shamisen or something! I'm busy with lots of homework."" I told my sister, who smiled back at me again, turning as she ran down the hallway with the energy of a roadrunner on stimulants. I merely raised an eyebrow before closing my door. Little kids are still a mystery to me, even though I myself was one some odd years ago…

Lying back on my bed, I realized that I didn't actually have anything at all to do today. I was now looking up at the ceiling, realizing this was going to be an extremely boring Sunday….

And it was. The details of it are so excruciatingly boring and bland, that I'd rather not disclose them. If I did, you might be just as close to smashing your head against the wall as I was.

I wasn't not lying. It was that uneventful.

And so, the next day was all the more exciting, as it actually had purpose. This time around, my sister ended up waking me up for school, actually having the audacity to place Shamisen on my head until I got out of bed. Being a little kid, she just thinks this is funny and cute. To me, it's annoying and bothersome.

But, I deal with it all anyway. Leaving my home, I begin my daily hike to school. Although the weekends are something to cherish, I always seem to somehow miss this daily routine. It was always was tiresome and a chore at first, but it quickly became just another part of my life. It was kind of a ritual in a way. But, with all things, there are good parts, and bad ones.

And now came the negative part of my morning. In the form of Taniguchi, who is my supposed "ladies man" of a friend. Well…I wouldn't call him so much of a friend. I consider him more of an acquaintance. To tell the truth, I hang around him and Kunikida so I don't look like a loner. Either way, he always seemed to find me on my daily hike to school. It's like he tracks me down, no matter wherever I am on my walk to school.

"Hey, Kyon!" he said jubilantly, patting me on the back as I walk along. I have my tired face on, so it didn't really compare to the grin he wears half the time.

"Morning…" I replied, my voice dry. I was still kind of tired, so it easily shows.

"So I heard that Suzumiya was at your house Saturday night. Some of my close contacts said they saw you speaking to her at your front door, and you let her in." He said to me, and he purposely continued to wear that stupid grin.

Now what I was wondering, is how the hell he knew Haruhi was at my house the other night! Is this guy spying on me? Because I know he didn't have all these "close contacts", he's speaking of. Nevertheless, I have no choice but to respond.

"Yeah, she was there. Her parents were away, and she needed a place to stay." I told him, but Taniguchi didn't really buy it. His face lit up, and he playfully punched me on the shoulder.

"I knew you always liked the weird girls, Kyon! So how far did you get? First base?

Now, to something like this, my response might be coated in anger. I might have actually shouted back at Taniguchi not to say such ridiculous things. But this time in the morning, I really didn't have the energy to get mad at this idiot and his ramblings. So, I sighed, answering him once again.

"She slept on my floor. Nothing happened between us, and I'm not in the mood to talk at the moment." I told Taniguchi, seeing that the school entrance was just right ahead. I felt a little relief at not having to talk to him any longer, and so without even saying goodbye, I speedily entered the front doors, running up nearby stairs that led to my class.

Like my Sunday, the school day was just as boring and uneventful. I managed to get to my seat in class a little early, but upon arriving, I noticed Haruhi wasn't in her usual seat yet. So, I sat and waited, but still, she didn't arrive. Finally, about 3 minutes before the start of class, Haruhi came in, not even giving me a word as she sat in her chair and buried her head in her arms. I thought of possibly saying something to her, but class had already begun by then, so I turned around and attempted to pay attention.

At lunchtime, I headed down to the clubroom as usual. Upon entering, I noticed something that to me was quite strange.

There wasn't anyone there.

It surprised me, mostly because the clubroom was always occupied by at least one person during the lunch period. But alas, it was not this time. So, I went off to go eat lunch by myself, attempting to avoid Taniguchi and Kunikida, so neither of them would bother me about Haruhi spending the night at my house on Saturday. Even though I say nothing about certain things, everyone seems to find about them somehow. I really get annoyed by that.

After more agonizing hours of class, the school day finally came to an end. Now came the part of my day where I was to go to the clubroom and partake in the daily activities that the SOS Brigade had to offer. Well, you could say "activities", if you were talking about being bossed around by Haruhi, or listening to another one of Koizumi's long speeches about some obscure theory. Or drinking Asahina-san's amazingly brewed tea, which isn't such a bad thing.

Upon my arrival to the clubroom, I found a strange sight as before. When I opened the door, I could clearly see only three members were present. Yuki Nagato was doing the same thing she did almost every single club meeting. She was silently reading a book, sitting on a metal fold-up chair in the corner. It was interesting to note I barely ever see her blink. But I guess being an alien, she didn't have to do that as much as a human does. Come to think of it, she probably didn't need to do it at all.

Mikuru Asahina, the club's mascot and usual target of Haruhi's harassment, was dressed up in her maid outfit, already having started brewing her fantastic tea. The sight of Asahina-san was always good for the eyes. I still have yet to get rid of those various pictures of her on the clubroom computer. Probably should get to that eventually…

"Hello, Kyon." She said to me, her voice soft as always, as she waited for the water to boil. Asahina-san's smile could warm up a zero-degree day, and she still has to deal with being physically changed in and out of outfits by Haruhi. Those thoughts still make my own blood boil a little bit, even though I can do nothing about them.

And lastly, Itsuki Koizumi was sitting at the end of the middle table in the room, having already set up a chess board, as if waiting for me to arrive. He had that smile pasted on his face, which, as always, annoyed me a bit.

I was certainly not slow enough not to notice that Haruhi was the only one not present in the room. Is she really that mad at me? Is the world going to end any second? Why the hell did I have to say those things!?!

I decided to hide my concern, sitting down in front of Koizumi, whose expression changed as I was now in front of him. He seemed more serious now, like I he was getting ready to interrogate me. Nevertheless, his voice still sounded carefree, even though his face looked serious.

"Greetings, Kyon-kun." He said to me, moving one of his chess pieces first. I noticed he was white, as always, and I slightly groaned.

"Hey Itsuki. Seen Haruhi lately?" I asked him, moving up a pawn to start the game. I figured it was better to ask him where she might have gone, since they all seemed to know so much more about her than me. Plus, a lot of what they know is "classified information", at least by what Asahina-san says, and they can't disclose it to me. It sucks to be normal sometimes.

"Ah, she's part of what I want to talk to you about." Itsuki responded, avoiding my question. I sighed internally, knowing that this was going to be another speech from him. I silently hoped it would be comprehensible.

"As you may have noticed, there's been some emotional instability it Suzumiya-san lately. My colleagues and I have clearly realized it, since we're the ones who end up having to take care of all the closed spaces that appear as a result. But recently, there have been more closed spaces than ever. Not only that, but they are larger than normal as well. We've even seen the size of the giants increase exponentially. And most of all, the Agency has pinpointed the reason for Haruhi's instability directly to you, Kyon."

"Could have surprised me." I answered sarcastically, moving another one of my chess pieces forward as we talk. Asahina-san is already pouring us some tea, smiling sweetly to me as she does. I just love her smile. It's so cute and genuine. Nothing at all like Itsuki's.

"So you think you've found a reason why she's so stressed out lately?" I asked, and Koizumi pauses for a moment, taking one of my knights with a pawn. That was a stupid move on my part.

"Something is clearly on her mind that's been bothering her. I can tell when Suzumiya-san is in conflict with herself, and now is one of those times. The Agency is a bit worried about it too. We've seen what happens over little things, and something that's possibly this big could have catastrophic consequences. They've informed me of an Agency member who will be coming to Japan in the next few days. It was a quite spontaneous action from them, actually, but he's supposed to assist us with Suzumiya-san." Itsuki replied, and from a few feet away, I can see Yuki look up from her book.

Her eyes are glossy and emotionless as always, and whenever she speaks, her voice is almost robotic.

"I've noticed this phenomenon around Suzumiya-san as well. I've been calculating record amounts of data that is clearly emanating from her. Something catastrophic is imminent, from my perspective."

Why does everyone know everything about Haruhi but me? I'm in the dark all the time!!!

"It doesn't take all that much to see something is bothering Suzumiya-san. She's not herself." Mikuru added as she's turned away from me, putting away the various tea cups on a nearby shelf.

So to me, it seems everyone is agreeing on the same thing. Haruhi is in emotional turmoil, and so, the world is beginning to feel the effects. I wonder if this might have related to the fact I saw almost no one that Saturday night while I was cycling. Maybe I was in closed space and I didn't even know it?

But before I could ponder these facts, or Itsuki could add anything else, the door to the clubroom slammed open with enough force to knock over a building. I could have sworn the North High was shaking from the impact, and it certainly was enough to knock over a few of the chess pieces. Good thing, though, because I was losing. Itsuki's terrible at all the games he wants to play, so losing to him is a severe embarassment on my part.

Standing in the doorway, was a sight I was actually glad to see for once. Haruhi had her classic, almost mischievous expression pasted on her face. The glint in her eye was present as well. That usually means something is going her way. She nearly stomped into the room, shutting the door behind her. It was then I noticed she was holding what looked like an open letter in her hand. I initially wondered what it was, but as always, Haruhi explains things important to her as quickly and as loudly as she possibly can.

"Members of the SOS Brigade!" she began to announce, pulling out the piece of paper that had been inside the letter. Whatever the letter was, it was exciting her, mostly by the sound of her voice and the expression on her face. "I have here a letter from an SOS Brigade in America! Let me read it to you all…

SOS Brigade in America? This was already sounding outlandish. Still, I couldn't help but pay attention to Haruhi as she began to read the letter...

_Greetings Brigade Chief,_

Although you're probably not very used to things like this, the letter you are reading is intended for you and your SOS Brigade club. I'm an American teenager who has recently started my own version of your genius SOS Brigade idea in my high school. I only have a few members, but I can tell you we are just as dedicated to finding strange phenomenon all over the world as you must be! We managed to find your site by mistake one day, and I got so interested in it, I decided I would start an American branch of the SOS Brigade. But, I know that permission is needed from the original Brigade Chief, so me and my members have decided to journey all the way to Japan to meet you and your members! I'm glad I actually decided to learn Japanese; otherwise I wouldn't be able to write this letter. I look forward to meeting you and all your club members!

Sincerely, K

Haruhi seemed to just blow up with happiness after reading that letter. It was good, since I could tell her old, hyper, eccentric personality was swiftly returning. I was getting worried at the signs of melancholy she had shown these past few days. But many questions were already racing through my thoughts.

For example, how the hell did this American know Japanese so well? Unless the letter was in English, and Haruhi somehow could read English, and just never told us. Plus, how did they find the webpage anyway? And why would they consider something as insane as making their own SOS Brigade? I mean, I was forced to join, but they voluntarily made themselves members? And not to mention why the hell someone would want to copy some obscure club from Japan! Plus, the writer is really being a Haruhi kiss-ass. Sounds like someone Koizumi might get along with. And why would the send a letter all the way to Japan? Wouldn't e-mailing be easier? And what's with the single initial too? But as I ponder on these many questions, everyone else seems to just be listening Haruhi, who has just begun her talking spree.

"I knew that the website was a great idea! All thanks to my genius as Brigade Chief, of course!" she announces, and as always, it's annoying that she never gives me even a tiny bit of credit. That's typical Haruhi for you.

"I can't wait for these foreigners to arrive! We've got so much to show them regarding the original SOS Brigade! Plus, once they find out all the things their club is probably doing wrong, I'll have them bowing down to their new international Brigade Chief in no time! Me and Mikuru-chan will wear our old bunny-girl costumes when they arrive, because I know they wouldn't be able to resist something like that…."

At this point, I'm half-listening to Haruhi and her ideas. She still has the notion to go on, mostly because Asahina-san and Koizumi are still actually listening to her. Even after being constantly abused by Haruhi, Asahina-san still can't help but be her sweet self towards her. It's kind of sad, really. Yuki is reading her book again, but to Haruhi, she still counts as listening. It's only when I was the one not paying attention does she get ticked off. Lucky me.

While Haruhi is still going on like a parrot, Koizumi leans over the table to me, his face suddenly getting very close to mine. I backed away a bit. His face is way too close. Either way, I still listen as he speaks.

"You didn't happen to hear anything peculiar from Suzumiya-san that night she slept at your house, did you?" Koizumi asks quietly, causing me to wonder how the hell he knew about that, since I didn't mention it to anyone. Come to think about it, how do all the people in this damn school end up knowing things I never mention?

"She did say something about the idea of an International SOS Brigade being something she'd want to do…" I reply quietly, as I was surprised Haruhi hasn't caught me not paying attention yet. Koizumi seems to be in thought for a moment, before narrowing his eyes to me.

"It seems that Suzumiya-san has made this so by her own accord. Something tells me that one of those Americans might be the Agency member I was informed about. Only time will tell. I guess we must just wait and the outcome of all this then." the esper responded, finally moving away from me. I sighed, hating the fact he barely give me any information. As I turn to face Haruhi, I find myself staring right into her face. She looks less than pleased.

"Kyon! You're not listening again!" she says, her expression obviously annoyed. "If you keep this up, we might have to replace you with one of the Americans!"

Like that would really be so bad….

Haruhi now turned her attention away from me, already beginning to go through one of the room closets. I can see Koizumi get up, waving goodbye to me as he leaves the clubroom, saying once again that he has work to go to. In perfect timing, I already see Haruhi pulling out what looks like an expensive, velvet, black gown. Don't ask me where she got it from. Her smile is mischievous as she holds it, and I can see she's staring at Asahina-san with devious intent. It didn't take me long to figure out what's going on.

"Mikuru-chan! Let's try this dress on you! I think the Americans would definitely like it!" Haruhi said to her, pouncing on Asahina-san before she can even react. I sighed, unable to do much in this situation. Getting up from my chair, I leave the clubroom, waiting right outside the door. I can already hear Asahina-san struggling against Haruhi inside. My thoughts are already beginning to imagine the scene. I sighed as usual.

Whoever these Americans are, they really have no idea what they're getting themselves into…

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**EDIT: Chapter fix****  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**To all my readers, here comes the next part of the story. I'm glad you're all enjoying it. ****_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ **

To say the least, the next few days of school involved Haruhi becoming an absolute iron-fisted monarch of the SOS Brigade. I'm not trying to be funny about this. She really was ruling over us more than usual.

Never have I been more bossed around, commanded, bullied and forced to do menial labor by her! Every little job or random task that would come into Suzumiya-san's mind would be automatically given to me to complete. I became her work robot and personal slave, as I extremely envied that fact that I was literally the only one in the club who was doing all this work. Suzumiya-san left Mikuru alone for the most part. Except for when she wanted her to try any new outfits, which ended up in me and Itsuki vacating the room as we could hear them struggling with one another. Haruhi is so rough towards Asahina-san, and it pains me to here such a sweet girl having to go through such embarassment.

Well, it was usually just me leaving the room a these times, since Itsuki seemed to conveniently have to go home right before Haruhi would actually assault Mikuru-chan. I never am really able to much to stop this abuse towards Asahina-san. I think it's because I'm scared for my own well-being. I have little idea what Suzumya-san is actually capable of, and it's frightening to think about.

Back on topic, there is something peculiar I have noticed over the course of these last few days concering Suzumiya-san. Haruhi, while extremely excited and obsessed with preparing for the arrival of these foreigners from the United Staes, still seems to be showing some almost obvious signs of emotional dissension.

Now, maybe it's nothing really all that serious. Maybe I'm just getting paranoid, because there is that thing that teenage girls go through every month, and so perhaps that could be the problem. But in this case, I've seen Haruhi be extremely cheery and happy-go-lucky one second, and suddenly become down and unenthusiatic another. It's making me really wonder. But then again, I'm always wondering about things like this.

It's safe to say that today was a mostly normal day for the SOS Brigade. After school, I headed to the club room as per usual. Mikuru greeted me with a smile as I entered, which was always a plus in my book. Koizumi wasn't even in school that day, which made a little suspicious. There's still a lot about this esper boy that I can't put my finger on….

Yuki was in the same corner once again, reading some book as always. I always imagined as an alien, she could probably go through a single book in a matter of minutes, but perhaps she actually enjoyed reading them like a normal human does. I'll never really know.

But, upon entering the room, my greeting was usual.

"KYON!" I heard, and Haruhi had said my name so loudly, I thought the windows were going to break. I almost covered my ears, but Haruhi was already up in my face before I could do so.

"You're late!" she told me, annoyance clear in her tone of voice. She pointed a finger at me like I was guilty of some crime.

"There's no excuse for being two minutes late, Kyon! Penalty! As a member of my SOS Brigade, I expect you to be here on time every single day! No exceptions! What kind of example do you think you'll be setting when the Americans see you doing this?" she asks me, and I think for a second, contemplating on what kind of response I should give her.

"I'm sorry for being such an irresponsible member." I say, sarcasm in my voice, though I doubt Haruhi will get the hint. "I'll try not to be late next time."

"You better be sorry, Kyon. As punishment for your tardiness, you're in charge of checking up on the website today. I don't feel like doing it, so now it's your job!" Haruhi responds, and I'm not surprised that I'm already taking orders from her.

"Fine." I say simply, walking past her. Suzumiya-san is still looking at me like I've broken more of her rules, but I ignore it. I was going to check on the website anyway, and I can't recall when Haruhi has actually done anything regarding the website besides creating the logo, which she still made me paste on the stupid page. So what exactly am I doing that's different from what I'm usually forced to do by her? I think Haruhi needs her brain checked or something...

And so, I sit down in front of the computer, loading up the SOS Brigade webpage. Suzumiya-san is now on the other side of the room, and from my perspective, it kind of looks like she's pretending to go through nearby shelves for no reason. I know this because Asahina-san is always keeping the entire clubroom spotless and dust-free in her spare time. So to me, it looks like Haruhi is doing absolutely nothing of actual importance. Whatever…

Still, I can't help but wonder. As I navigate around the site, I still notice some strange things emanating from Haruhi. Was she just staring at me for a second there? The way she turned and looked at me was kind of awkward, and I know I saw her look away when I noticed this. Is there something she wants to say? I should brush the notion off. She probably just is looking for something to scold me for.

Like I said before, I'll never understand Suzumiya-san completely. Not in this lifetime, at least.

Back to the website, I'm surprised when I see something peculiar on the home page. Scrolling down, I see that someone has posted a message in the guestbook. Before I'm about to check who exactly it was that posted the message, I see the answer to my question immediately. Just a single initial tells it all.

K. The supposed leader of a US SOS Brigade. He's probably just as eccentric as Haruhi.

The message was as follows…

_Attention SOS Brigade! I am on my way to your high school as I post this message. We'll be there soon, but it would be appreciated if you could point yourselves out in front of your school. I'm looking forward to meeting you all!_

What the hell? Why are they already telling us they're on their way? How desperate where they to see us? God, these Americans must have an obsession with the SOS Brigade. And where's this message coming from in the first place, unless the guy's got a laptop while on his way here. I wonder if I should tell Haruhi about this…

"What are you doing, Kyon?" Suzumiya-san asks me, having already lost her patience as she looks at the computer screen. I should have known she wouldn't leave me alone for long. Before I can say anything, she's already read the message, and I can feel the energy already radiating from her body like a red hot flame of excitement.

"THEY'RE ALREADY ON THEIR WAY?!?!" Haruhi screams in my ear, her voice sounding panicked. Before I can react, Suzumiya-san grabs me by the arm, throwing me aside as she suddenly takes over the computer. She already begins to type before I even hit the floor. Getting up from the floor, I can see that Haruhi pressing enter on the keyboard and then running over to the room closet.

"Was there a need to just throw me aside? You could have just said you wanted to respond to the message yourself…" I say from across the room to Suzumiya-san, rubbing my forehead. But, I don't really get the response I want as usual. An apology of some sort might suffice, but that's never the case with Haruhi.

"Mikuru-chan!" she announces from the closet, obviously gathering items based on all the noise she's making. Mikuru looks up in response, having been busy brewing her daily batch of tea this entire time. As always, Asahina-san has no idea of what Suzumiya-san has planned for her…

Suzumiya-san walks out of the clubroom closet, with two familiar garments in her arms. They are the black and red bunny-girl outfits she and Mikuru had worn on multiple occasions. Most of the time, neither Haruhi nor Mikuru have lasted long with them on in school, but as with all things, Haruhi never gets the hint. I think if she was a lab rat, she'd be a failure in any of those experiments involving them shocking the rats to not go the wrong way in the rat maze.

And so, the sighing comes on again, but this time, I feel like saying something.

"Is it really necessary to put those on again? You really think that's what will attract foreigners? Japanese girls in bunny outfits?"

"Of course!" Haruhi responds, the same mischievous expression present on her face as I can see her already cornering Mikuru. Not in the mood to argue, I walk right past her, standing right outside the room as before. The voices I could hear were as follows.

_"Okay, Mikuru-chan! Let's get this red one on you!"_

_"Wait!!!! I can dress myself!!!!"_

_"Nonsense! As Brigade Chief, I'll help you get it on!"_

After some screaming and protesting by Mikuru, I wait only a few more minutes before both Haruhi and Mikuru walk out of the room, both of them clad in their bunny girl outfits. Mikuru attempts to cover herself as always, a red blush tinged on her cheeks. I tried my best not to look.

Suzumiya-san always seems like she's used to the black bunny girl outfit she's wearing, and she playfully pats Mikuru-chan on the shoulder as she turns to face me.

"Okay, Kyon. Me and Mikuru-chan are going to stand in the front of the school. I doubt the Americans will have trouble noticing us!"

Well, of course. Anyone can point out two girls dressed in skimpy outfits in front of a high school. Either way, I have a feeling they're just going to get the wrong idea.

Whatever…it's all Haruhi's fault if they do…

"I'm coming with you two. I'd like to see these Americans for myself." I tell Haruhi, who seems to understand, before starting to walk along beside me. Mikuru is right behind us, trying to cover herself even though there's no one else besides us around.

Haruhi's eyes are already showing the same glint they always have, and that usually means that everything is going her way. But they always go her way, in my opinion, because she is the equivalent of God. She just doesn't know it.

When the three of us step outside, I only then realize we left Yuki in the clubroom. I shrugged to myself at the fact. I having a feeling she might have wanted to read rather than meet these foreigners.

Now that we're waiting outside, I can see Haruhi already scanning the street ahead, looking for some sort of sign of approaching Americans. I wouldn't really know what they're like, since I've never actually met one. Judging from how they interpret anime and manga in their home country, I already don't like them. But that's besides the point.

Mikuru seems like she's shivering in her bunny outfit, but I guessed it was more from the embarrassment of having to wear it in public. With school having ended over an hour ago, there wasn't really anyone around to see her, but I could still understand her embarrassment. I'd probably be the same if I had to wear something like that.

Meanwhile, Haruhi was waving her arms up and down like a maniac as every car passed by. I had no idea when these Americans exactly planned on coming, but Haruhi seemed impatient as usual. Being bored as I was, I couldn't help but notice something about Suzumiya-san being in that black bunny outfit. She actually looked good in it.

Wait, I didn't just think that…

Well, I'm not going to go saying I'm gay or anything either. Otherwise, I might have actually liked all the times Itsuki decided to put his face uncomfortably close to mine. Still, the thought of me admiring Suzumiya-san in her bunny outfit more than I usually do was a little unnerving.

As the cars came and went, I could see that a taxi was getting a little closer to the school. Haruhi was waving more than ever at this point, while Mikuru stayed behind me, clutching onto my shoulder as she shielded herself from view. I sighed, watching as the car pulled up.

Finally, we would get to see what these Americans looked like. Haruhi seemed ready to explode with excitement, and even I admit feeling a little of the same as we watched the door to the car open, and someone step out.

This person looked nothing like anyone I had ever seen. They didn't look like anyone Japanese; that's for sure.

He was a male, standing about a good 6 feet. His hair was black, and it was beyond ridiculous. From what I could see, this person had grown it out into an afro, and it was at least a foot tall. His dress was also just as strange. He wore a tie-dye colored shirt with what looked like an American peace sign spray-painted on it. His pants were baggy jeans, and he had green and black sneakers on. Glasses framed his tan-colored face, and white headphones were in his ears as he walked toward us.

This is the founder of the American SOS Brigade?

I've heard things hear and there about the 70's in the United States, and if I didn't know any better, this guy looks like he's a time traveler from that time.

But Suzumiya-san seems to ignore all his appearance, greeting him immediately.

"Welcome, foreigner! I'm SOS Brigade Chief Haruhi Suzumiya! You wouldn't happen to be an alien, time traveler, or esper, would you?" Suzumiya-san asked, and I merely hit myself in the face. But judging from his appearance, I doubt this American will run from her and her bizarreness.

"Last time I checked, no. Greetings, Brigade Chief; I'm K." he responds, leaving his headphones on as he speaks. What mostly surprised me about his response was how fluent he was in Japanese. I have to say; his accent was near perfect. For an American, he obviously did his homework. And what's with the whole single initial thing? It sounds ridiculous in my opinion. But I don't ask about it, instead, I pose a different question.

"So you're the leader of the American SOS Brigade?" I ask him, rubbing my chin. "Where are the rest of your members then?"

I only ask this because I noticed that after K stepped out of the taxi, it left shortly. He did mention his supposed other members multiple times in his letter. If they were all as ridiculous as him, I would have expected them to be pouring out of his taxi after him.

"Well…" K begins to say, nervousness apparent in his voice.

"There aren't any other members."

"So you're the only American SOS Brigade member?" Haruhi asks him, and he nods. I find myself suddenly waiting to hear Suzumiya-san scold him about his failure, somewhat excited that someone else besides me was going to get bullied around by her. But as I have said before, things don't usually go my way most of the time. It really pisses me off.

"Then I guess you're going to be the newest member of the original SOS Brigade! The more members, the better!" Haruhi exclaims, and her response completely tears apart my hope of her putting this American down. Even still, I have a hundred questions on my mind to ask this American. He seems to like speaking as much as Haruhi though.

"Great! I just couldn't wait till I got to Japan! I've wanted to see this amazing country ever since I was little!" K says, grinning all of a sudden. All this time, I've yet to see him take off his headphones. This guy sounds way too excited about being here. He just sounds like an anime fanatic to me.

"This is going to be awesome! You're the Brigade Chief, right?" K asks Haruhi, who takes advantage of the fact someone is recognizing her position of power. Or more like position to think she has the right to tell everyone what to do all the time. Although, that really is the definition of a position of power.

Wait a second. Didn't Haruhi just tell him she was the Brigade Chief? I think this guy needs to lower the volume on his music and stop damaging his eardrums.

"The one and only! You'll be taking orders from me from this point on!" Suzumiya-san replies, her voice sounding happier than a parrot that inhaled helium gas. K seems to nod just like Itsuki always does, and that just seems to annoy me more. From behind me, Mikuru decides to emerge, giving K a small smile as she introduces herself.

"I'm Mikuru Asashina. It's....nice to meet you."

As always, Mikuru sounds very shy, but K acts completely the opposite.

"Same here! I'm digging the bunny outfit!" he says to her, his voice sounding way too happy.

This response only causes Mikuru to blush madly before retreating behind me. I sigh once again. Who says "digging" anyway? I don't really know much about how Americans talk, but that just sounds corny to me. After greeting Mikuru, K turns his attention to me, raising an eyebrow.

"And you are?"

"My name is...just call me Kyon." I tell him quickly, and I can see that K takes no time putting out his hand for me to shake. I shake his hand quickly, and he just grins at me. I'm starting to think that grin is worse than Itsuki's smile. Actually taking off his white headphones, he addresses me again.

"You're just the person I need to speak to at the moment. If you two ladies don't mind, I need to speak with your friend Kyon. Privately."

At that instant, Haruhi feels challenged in her authority, and I mentally salivate. Finally; someone else is going to be bossed around by her besides me.

"What's this about? Why can't I hear it?" she says to K, his grin changing into a smile, and he puts on a calm face when answering Suzumiya-san.

"It's an important matter that I can only talk about with Kyon. As Brigade Chief, I'm sure you'll understand."

Wow. Playing the "Brigade Chief" card. This guy knows how to be even more of a kiss-ass to Haruhi than Itsuki Koizumi already is.

I don't like him.

"Fine. I'm going back to the clubroom with Mikuru-chan. Don't take too long!" Suzumiya-san tells us, before she turns to go back inside. Mikuru follows her, waving to me as she follows Haruhi, and the two go inside the entrance doors; disappearing from view. K immediately turns to me, a grin on his face. That's really beginning to creep me out.

"Wow, that Suzumiya girl is really hot!" He says, and at first, I don't get what he was alluding too. But thinking about it, I realize he's pointing out how good-looking Suzumiya-san is. And for the most part, he's right. At the sound of his exclamation, I feel a strange sensation in my stomach. I ignore it, snapping out of my train of thought and turning my attention back to K.

"So what's so important you actually got Haruhi to listen to someone else for once?" I ask him, and K narrows his eyes towards me. I'm starting to think K is just the initial to his name. But I doubt he's going to tell us what his real name is.

"Well, if you're friend Itsuki Koizumi hasn't already told you; I'm from The Agency. I've never actually heard of that Suzumiya girl till now, but I got told by some higher ups that I needed to head to Japan and help out with her "situation"." K responds, and I'm partially surprised. This guy seems very weird, but I didn't expect him to be the Agency member that Koizumi was talking about before. Nevertheless, these things really shouldn't cease to amaze me. Haruhi is practically a god; Yuki, an alien. Mikuru is a time-traveler, and Koizumi is yet another member of this Agency. And still, little things manage to still surprise me.

Suddenly, I feel K put an arm around my shoulder, his face moving uncomfortably close to mine as he speaks.

"So, now I'm here. While I'm looking forward to my time with the SOS Brigade, I do have my assignment to still consider. I don't even know how long I'm here for, to be honest."

The shorter, the better. This guy is worse than Itsuki.

"As you may know, Haruhi Suzumiya can change reality around her based on her emotional state. Well, the Agency has noticed some considerable abnormalities around her." He says to me, his voice sounding a little more serious.

"Tell me something I don't know. What's your point?" I respond indignantly, annoyed by hearing the same information over and over again; just from different people.

"The point is; the reason for Haruhi's emotional state is completely pinpointed to you, Kyon. You're the source of her stress, and as of yet, we're still trying to figure out why. Koizumi couldn't do it alone, so that's why I'm here. I'm going to help figure out the reason she's like this. Because if we don't, then chances are she's going to reach the point where she does something really drastic." He says, the grin still on his face.

"Like ending the world, I assume?" I ask him, still uncomfortable with his arm around my shoulder.

"That's the idea." K responds, still grinning. Ugh. I've heard all this stuff already. Time and time again.

Am I truly destined to be surrounded by only extra-ordinary people in my life? Why couldn't I be the weird guy surrounded by all the normal people?

As always, I'll never know.

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**EDIT: Chapter Fix**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, folks! Based on my reviews, and on my own personal choice, I have decided to make some changes to the plot of my story. It will go as normal, mostly because I came up with a logical reason for the change. One that actually has bearing on the plot. **

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I woke up with a start.

Not really knowing much of where I was, I could feel beads of sweat coming down my forehead. I was in my room. Getting off my bed, I slowly walked towards my door, listening for any sounds at all.

Nothing.

Looking back, I could see the sky was dark outside my window. In fact, everything around me looked more or less gray. Ignoring this fact, my feet moved forward anyway, taking me out of my room like I was some sort of automation.

Now, I was in the hallway, and still, there were no sounds to be heard. The drab grayness had overtaken my house as well. I was clearly alone, slowly walking towards my front door. Each step felt like an eternity. I felt like I was moving through concrete jelly. This was less than enjoyable.

Finally reaching the front door, I hear a loud rumble as it opens. The sound of wood cracking and splintering nearby can be heard, and as I look outside, I can see that towering blue giants are destroying the nearby homes. Their gargantuan forms easily tear apart all the house infrastructures, and I wonder why I'm not cowering in fear at the sight of them.

Ahead, I can see someone standing in front of it all, their back facing me as they seem to be watching the giants. It looks like Suzumiya-san.

Suddenly, I can move regularly again, running towards her, dressed in only sweatpants and without a shirt. I'm right behind her now, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Haruhi…" I begin to say, readying myself to ask her where I am. Well, that's stupid. I know I'm in closed space, but I obviously can't tell her that.

But before I can say anything, Suzumiya-san swiftly turns to face me. Her eyes light up, but the glint they show looks more like anger. She stares into my face, crossing her arms as she puts on a scowl. The words I hear her say don't match her usual tone of voice.

"I don't think I like you anymore, Kyon."

The moment Haruhi says those words, the world around me begins to speed up. Light surrounds me, and everything is spinning like an out of control carnival ride. Before I even get the notion to throw up, everything stops.

My eyes open immediately. Looking forward, I can see I'm in my room again, and there's color around me now. I sit up, rubbing my forehead. I can't tell if that was a dream, or something else. Already hearing the familiar "Kyon-kun!" coming down the hallway, I realize that I'm not dead just yet, and another day is waiting for me.

My daily hike to school isn't much of a different experience every time I go through it, but there are always some things I like about it, and some things I don't. For example; there was no Taniguchi to annoy me today, so that was mostly a plus. Still, I could not get my mind of this "K" character.

He had already given me a reason to dislike foreigners, but I was also getting a little suspicious of him. Though Koizumi had mentioned an Agency member being sent to Japan, he also mentioned multiple times that the Agency had various factions it was in conflict against. For all I know, K could be part of one of those factions.

Mostly, I was dreading the time we would be spending with him. I did some research the other day on the 70's in the United States, and I went speechless when I heard American disco music. I'm getting the feeling that K is going to be blasting his music in the clubroom every day for as long as he's here, and that is certainly not going to be enjoyable at all.

Arriving at my usual morning class, I get to my seat to find that Haruhi is not present behind me. I don't know if she's avoiding me, but part of me hopes she doesn't keep doing this. Like before, Suzumiya-san arrives only minutes before class starts.

She's never late. Lucky.

I don't even get a single word out before she buries herself in her arms again. I think for a moment, wondering if I should attempt to say something to her. But I don't, and I turn around, leaving her alone as I attempt to pay attention.

The day goes slow, and salvation comes in the form of my lunch period. Although it usually ends up with me staying in the clubroom, it's still way better than having to be in class, or having to be around Taniguchi. Upon entering the clubroom, I find that only one person is waiting for me.

It's Itsuki Koizumi, and he's seated at the table as usual, but surprisingly, there's no board game set up in front of him. There's a slight smile on his face, which makes me almost groan out loud. Mikuru, Haruhi and even Yuki are nowhere in sight. I think of where each of them might be as I sit down, but Itsuki interrupts my train of thought as he speaks.

"So how's life treating you, Kyon?" he says, his gaze focused on me. Still creepy as usual.

"It's okay. You missed the American yesterday. He mentioned being the Agency member you told me about before." I replied, not telling him that this American was almost more eccentric than Suzumiya-san.

"Yes, that's what I have to discuss with you." He replies, looking out the nearby window for a moment. "You see, Kyon…" he begins to say, suddenly turning to face me.

"K wasn't real."

This response automatically gets a confused reaction from me. I don't really understand what Koizumi is getting at.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Itsuki sighs for a moment. I think a long explanation is coming. Maybe I should have just left it at that…

"K was an illusion, in a sense. The reason I wasn't present in school, was simply, because K was. The Agency never told me about sending someone to Japan. There never was an American who was interested in the workings of the SOS Brigade. The letter and the message on the website, that was all from me."

Well, I could somewhat expect that Koizumi would do something like that. He's always seemed like the type, but there are still a lot of holes that need to be filled. For once, I want to hear this explanation of his.

"Okay. So you lied to all of us. But where the hell did the actual American come from? I saw him with my own eyes. I even felt him put his arm around my shoulder!" I ask Koizumi, and he almost smiles at my question.

"As you may know, Kyon; I'm an esper. You've already seen some of my abilities in the presence of closed space. While I was not at school, I came upon some of the closed space Suzumiya-san had created recently. I spent most of the day inside it, and with my abilities, I was able to create "K". I can't go much into the details of how, but in all honesty, K was just an illusion to all of you. Although, I was able to make him corporeal enough that you could feel his actual presence, K really didn't exist at all."

Now, that mostly answers some of my questions, but I still get annoyed by the fact Itsuki refuses to tell me everything. But as always, many questions bubble into my head, and I can't help but ask them.

"So why did you decide to make a fake American then? To mess with our heads? How do you think Haruhi is going to take it when she finds out he's just gone?" I ask, mostly challenging Itsuki with my various questions.

"Well, the main reason that I had to do it was simple, and it was to keep Suzumiya-san occupied. You remember the incident on the island, Kyon. We staged a murder to keep her free from the boredom which would invariably lead to her being unstable. But the process of creating "K" put a great amount of strain on my abilites as I continued to keep him formed, and I began to realize that he being present wasn't having much of an effect on Haruhi's emotional state at all. So, he didn't have much of a point in existing anymore. Still, I am not looking forward to Suzumiya-san's reaction. I will have to be the one to tell her that K has "returned to America"." He explains. Koizumi sounds worried about having to tell Suzumiya-san the news. I seriously doubt she's going to get mad at him.

In fact, I'm more worried about her taking it out on me. As usual.

I'm such an idiot sometimes! I should have realized earlier there was a connection between K and Itsuki. I mean, the single initial, K, stands for Koizumi. He was grinning all the time, being a kiss-ass to Suzumiya-san, and moving his face way too close to mine whenever he spoke to me. And I can't forget how he somehow could speak and read Japanese near perfectly. Those were subtle hints, and I didn't even notice them! Still, I can't help but wonder why Itsuki had the urge to portray an American like he did…

Well, on the bright side; I'll never have to deal with "K" ever again.

Realizing the period is close to ending, I give Itsuki a goodbye, running off to my next class. I didn't even get to really eat lunch at all. Now I'm going to be hungry for the rest of the day….

Believe it or not, the rest of my day didn't go so slow as before. I think it's mostly because I was dreading going back to the clubroom after school. Now that I know K is a fake, Itsuki is going to have to go explaining his disappearance to Suzumiya-san. I have no doubt that she will not take it lightly. And who's going to end up being the victim of her newfound rage?

Me.

Unfortunately, the end of the day came faster than expected, and I found myself already on my way to the clubroom. I didn't hear any screaming or yelling emanating from it yet, and to me, that meant only one thing. Itsuki hadn't said a word yet.

Entering, I was greeted first by Mikuru, who had already gotten into her maid outfit. The strong scent of her tea was in the air, and it already was making me feel just a bit better. Yuki was in the corner once again, reading another book as usual. She's been like this for the last few days. I assume she has no input in anything going on around her, and she'd just rather read and remain silent. I wonder if this is all just part of her observations…

As for Haruhi, I spotted her on the computer. She looked like she was intensely focusing, and from what I could see, whatever she was watching wasn't making her happy.

"This is terrible!" she said out loud, standing up from her seat. "I'm never watching anything outside of Japan ever again. Those people from the United States have no idea what they're doing half the time!"

I wasn't so surprised at Haruhi already insulting someone else's failure, but I couldn't help agree with her. After her exclamation, her gaze immediately averted to me. I could already tell she was looking for something to scold me for.

"Kyon…..you're not late this time." She said to me, sounding a little disappointed. "But don't think I'm not watching you! You better be here on time every day!" she added, not content with admitting me doing something right for once. Typical.

Itsuki was sitting at the table, and I didn't really notice him until now. He was simply sitting there with no sort of board game in front of him, as if he was waiting for something. He's waiting to break the bad news to Suzumiya-san, that is.

Haruhi now looks like she's more annoyed than ever, and she checks the time before turning back to us.

"Where's that American kid? He's already late to his first meeting!" she said, and I could see Itsuki look up. Now comes the part I've been dreading all day. I almost had the urge to run out of the room, but alas, I did not.

"Well, Brigade Chief…" He says, already acting like a kiss-ass.

"Unfortunately, K had to return to the United States on short notice. He apologizes for not being able to stay with the Brigade much longer, but he hopes you'll understand."

Now, I was half-expecting the entire world to just be gone in less than a few seconds. Haruhi has the power to re-create the world if she wants, and I doubt she's able to control her temper for long. But, Suzumiya-san just stood there for a few seconds, as if processing the information that Itsuki had just given to her. She crossed her arms, and her face turned into the scowl. She looked the same as in my dream last night. This frightened me a bit, of course.

"Well….who cares about him anyway! I could already tell he was just going to a terrible Brigade member, so good riddance!" she told us, anger already apparent in her voice. The fact that the world wasn't gone yet surprised me the most.

Haruhi stomped over to the front of the room, nearly bumping into me and Mikuru. I moved away, not wanting to really be in the field of her rage. I could see she was thinking, as if exactly planning out what she was going to say next. I really doubted that was the case with her, though.

"I don't even know why I came up with the Brigade anyway. We've yet to meet any aliens, time-travelers or aliens at all!" Haruhi announces, and this response really surprises me. I've never actually heard Suzumiya-san put down the SOS Brigade. It's sad that although she thinks she's pointing out the obvious, she's completely wrong.

"I'm sick of having such incompetent people here. Like you, Kyon!" she suddenly exclaims, and by the sound of my name, I know it's directed to me. I sigh; already knowing this was coming.

"You're always slacking around here, Kyon. You disobey your Brigade Chief half the time. You're barely SOS Brigade material at all!" she says, insulting me on multiple levels. The fact that Haruhi is completely wrong is only one of the things making me mad, and I internally struggle on keeping my mouth shut. All this time, I've yet to hear anyone come to my defense. Mikuru is probably too afraid of Suzumiya-san to say anything, and Yuki remains quiet anyway. Koizumi is being his kiss-ass self as usual, saying absolutely nothing. Now that is pissing me off!

"I don't even know why I picked you as the first member. You don't care about the well-being of the Brigade! In fact-" Suzumiya-san attempted to say, but I had come to the point where I'd had enough. I'd had enough of her constant put-downs and insults. This had only been recently that she'd been picking on me this much, and it had bugged me to my limit.

"Just shut up already!" I shouted back at her, and for once, Haruhi actually stopped speaking. She looked at me like I had a knife to her throat. But I didn't care, mostly because I had lost most of my self-control.

"Let's get something straight here, and that's the fact I never wanted to be in your SOS Brigade! I never wanted to be dragged around by a self-deluded, bossy girl like you who had nothing better else to do than give me orders like I was her personal soldier! If I had the choice, Haruhi, I would rather be anywhere else than around you!" I practically yelled at her, and in my mind, every angry thought I was having towards Suzumiya-san was coming out at once.

Haruhi's reaction was one I had never seen before. At first, she looked speechless, unable to say anything at all. Suddenly, I saw something I had never seen her do in all the time I've known her. Even from a distance, one could see that tiny tears were already beginning to form in her eyes. At the same time, I could see her face twisting with anger. Or maybe it was hurt. I couldn't tell.

"So that's what I get from you? Insults! You're so stupid, Kyon! You should count yourself lucky I actually have the notion to care about you at all!" she says to me, and to my surprise, her voice is half-cracking. Being the idiot I was, I still let out part of my anger in my response.

"I thought the only thing you cared about was my utter obedience to your every whim. I'm sorry for not noticing your intentions earlier!" I replied, with enough sarcasm to fill a house. After that, Suzumiya-san had reached her limit.

"I'm going home!" she announced to us, the tears still clear in her eyes as she grabbed her bag from the nearby table. Opening the door to the clubroom, she slammed it behind her as she left. I'm sure the force from it was more than enough to damage the building in some way.

I looked back at the others, anger still brewing in my mind. Half of me knew a lot of what I said wasn't really true, but the other half was still mad at Suzumiya-san. Mikuru-chan was speechless, and Yuki, indifferent. Koizumi was looking at me curiously from his seat at the table, and I was reaching a point where I considered just punching him in the face. Fortunately, Suzumiya-san leaving the room helped me calm down a bit.

"I'm guessing she's going to wipe me from existence in a few moments." I said to Itsuki, half-joking, half-serious. The truth was, I wasn't expecting my existence to last much longer, because I know those words had hurt Suzumiya-san more than enough to have her consider wishing I'd never existed. Not such a smart move on my part.

"Actually Kyon, I don't think you really have to worry about that at all. I think I finally realize what the source of Suzumiya-san's emotional distress is." Itsuki responds, prompting curiosity from me. I couldn't help but know the reason for her recent dissension towards me.

"What is it then? Why am I the sole victim of her emotions these last few days?" I ask him quickly, anxious for his answer.

"It's simple, Kyon. From my perspective…" he begins, his sentence almost stopping at the last part. It's like he's doing it on purpose! He looks up to me, his voice as serious as it can get.

"It seems like Suzumiya-san has found herself in love with you."

Suddenly, I feel very stupid for being so anxious about the answer to my question…

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**EDIT: Chapter Fix**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**  
****Here's the next chapter everyone! I worked long and hard on it! Especially when it comes to the characterizations. Hope it's halfway decent.**

Enjoy.

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I think I'm going to be completely honest with myself. I swear on my life, that I did not believe Itsuki Koizumi for one second; when he said the words, "It seems like Suzumiya-san has found herself in love with you."

Am I crazy for not believing him? I've yet to see Haruhi say something nice to me for once; let alone actually be infatuated with me. That is, unless she expresses her affection underneath the insults and commands.

"You're joking, right?" I say to Koizumi, half-serious, and half-not. I've got a lot of trouble believing what he just told me.

"This isn't a joke, Kyon. I'm being serious. Suzumiya-san is clearly infatuated with you. Once you look at it in a certain light, it becomes quite clear." He replies, his voice as serious as it can get.

In my mind, I'm thinking of how Koizumi has come to this conclusion. Of course Haruhi has been nothing but nice, honest and most certainly loving in all the times I've dealt with her. I mean come on, give me a break!

"You realize how hard it is to believe that any of this is true. Look, I'm talking to a time traveler, an alien, and an esper, but think of what you're saying. Haruhi Suzumiya being in love with me? That's just insane."

Itsuki seems to smile at me for a moment. It feels like he's playing with my head, leading me to believe what he wants me to believe. He sighs, and from that, I can sense another one of his explanations coming on. Now comes the part where he talks, and I have to listen. Time to brace myself.

"You've heard the same thing from each of us, Kyon. Suzumiya-san has "chosen" you for a specific reason. For what exactly; we can never be too sure. But I can safely say that we now know why. Out of everyone in the entire world; she seems to hold the most feelings for you, Kyon. That seems to be why she hasn't drastically changed the world yet. That's why your presence on this reality hasn't been extinguished, even though Suzumiya-san is probably very angry with you right now. In a way Kyon; you've become her center of attention."

In a weird way, Itsuki's explanation seems to make sense. Why else why would Haruhi always boss me around the most? She's a strange girl, so I can expect that might be her way of expressing herself. It reminds me of what little kids do to one another. If they like one another, they kick sand in each other's faces to express it. But the fact that Haruhi isn't really much of a little kid is what scares me.

"Suzumiya-san is always the most comfortable around you…that must mean something." Mikuru adds softly. Like Itsuki, she has a point. The fact that Suzumiya-san decided to just spend the night at my house on such short notice would certainly support her claim. I'm not surprised to say that I can't think of anyone else who disregards personal privacy as much as Haruhi does.

Yuki continues to remain silent through all this. I can imagine she's probably absorbing all the information around her like a sponge; but I can never be too sure. Nevertheless, the look on her eyes shows that she's seems to be listening.

"It's really a simple concept when you get down to it, Kyon." Itsuki interjects. "You complete Haruhi's vision of a the world, in a way. In fact, I think the whole reason you even met her in the first place was completely her own doing. I can't really tell for what purpose, but at least we can tell what her problem is now."

"Okay, I get it. Suzumiya-san has a crush on me. What bearing does that have on me at all? What do you expect me to do about it?" I ask, and for a moment, no one seems to want answer my question. To my surprise, I hear Yuki's voice before anyone else can say a word.

"Suzumiya-san is unpredictable, as we all have seen. One can never tell what her actions are going to be, but in this situation, the outcome is very clear. I must say that it seems Suzumiya-san has more for you than what you call a simple "crush". The fact she's chosen you before either of you met supports that. With her mood being sporadic as it is, it can be difficult to tell what is bothering her. But as we now know the source of her instability, there seem to only be two options available to you." Yuki explains, and by the mere sound of the fact that I have "options"; I can already feel my stomach drop.

"Suzumiya-san has the ability to indirectly manipulate the vast amounts of data around her. She does so when her whims and desires need to be satisfied; whatever they may be. I conclude that she has trouble believing she holds these organic feelings for you. This is what has caused her emotional stress, and so, your options are as such. It comes down to you either returning her feelings, or not doing so."

Of course, I couldn't help but be curious and putting out a question to Yuki. Out of everyone, she seems to merely analyze everything, so I'd expect she would give me an answer from her point of view.

"And what might happen depending on my choice?" I ask, very curious to hear what she has to say.

"It is simple. If you return Suzumiya-san's feelings, than I can only assume her emotional state would return to normal, and she would have no reason to manipulate any of the data around her. If you do not, then I can also assume that her emotional instability will only elevate. At that point, I can expect she might be unsatisfied with this world enough to not only destroy it, but possibly destroy herself in the process. It is difficult to tell if the universe is at risk as well."

That was exactly the answer I didn't want. But I guess most of the things in my life have to be difficult. As I have said before, its days like these that make me miss the boring existence I was leading before I met Suzumiya-san.

"So you're saying…that either I fall in love with Haruhi; or she could potentially destroy herself and the entire universe?"

Yuki looks up at me, her eyes indifferent and almost devoid of any emotion at all.

"Yes."

"Well that's just great then! Now I have to force myself to love Haruhi Suzumiya!" I exclaim, slightly angry at my predicament. I've been given an impossible choice; learn to love Haurhi; or allow universal destruction. To my surprise, I can hear Itsuki laugh. I've never heard him really laugh much, but it's safe to say that it annoys me just as much as his smile.

"You know; I sincerely doubt that." He says, prompting me to raise an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I can see that you're trying to distance yourself from Suzumiya-san. You find her too eccentric for your tastes, and the fact that you now realize you have to be closer to her than ever before scares you. But I don't believe for a minute that you're going to force yourself to fall for her. In the end, I believe it will naturally take its course, whether you want it to or not." Itsuki replies, adding a smile at the end. I've never liked how he thinks this is all something to smile about. It has ceased to amaze me, as well as slightly bother me.

"We'll see. Maybe when the Earth stops spinning." I say sarcastically, mostly ignoring Itsuki's claim. Picking up my bag, I wave goodbye to them all, saying that I'm done with all this discussion for the day. I also mention that I'll attempt to apologize to Haruhi soon enough, lest the world be destroyed earlier than scheduled.

So, now I find myself walking home. Many things are on my mind, and walking alone means that I can no longer avoid them.

Haruhi Suzumiya is in love with me, and I didn't even know it. Is that why she was staring at me multiple times? Is that why she felt the need to pick on me so much? The way she expresses her feelings could certainly lead anyone to believe otherwise. But, I've never doubted that she is the most bizarre girl I know. As such, I should expect that the way she expresses things like love to be as equally bizarre.

But what exactly do I think of this? It's hard to say, even when the only person I'm saying it to is myself. I've always noticed that Haruhi is physically attractive, but when it comes to her personality; it becomes a subject of debate.

She just might be too strange for me. Although, when I say that, I can't help but forget that she's responsible for turning my life into something exciting for once. Without Suzumiya-san, I would be trudging through my existence as usual; going to school, dealing with Taniguchi, and thinking about my life beyond high school. All these things are still on my mind now, but with the added factor of Suzumiya-san and her SOS Brigade. But out of everyone in the Brigade, I will admit she is the one I'm always thinking about the most. Whenever I even hear the word "strange", an image of Haruhi's face can't help but pop up in my head. It's kind of amusing, actually…

But do I love her? If I had to admit it truthfully; I'd say no.

But despite all of her various faults, I must say that she could be my closest…..friend. As much as she's the one to insult me the most, she's also the one who has stayed by my side through thick and thin. And there are certain parts of her you can't help but like. When she's in a good mood, that mischievous expression of hers, the one she puts on when she's about to announce her next crazy idea, well…..I kind of like it.

And now, it seems I'm going to have no choice but to love her. Or at least pretend to. But why must I be forced to do something like this? Well, of course it for the sake of the universe, but I'm asking this more in an analytical way. I sigh, realizing that I'm just about to reach the front door. I guess the debating ends for now.

Opening the front door, I'm immediately greeted by a loud "Kyon-kun! You're home!" My sister runs towards me like a baby duckling would to its mother, and she tightly hugs me, burying her head in my stomach. I find it amazing that I'm the only one who doesn't find her as cute as everyone else does.

This hugging lasts for about 5 minutes, before I finally get the urge to actually speak up.

"So….can you let go of me now?" I ask, and luckily, my sister obliges, smiling at me as she runs off down the hallway. Where little kids get this inexhaustible energy, I'll never know.

It's safe to say I did everything I could to get to the solitude of my room as quickly as possible. I greeted my parents, ate a quick dinner, and got to my room before my sister could come up with a reason to keep me downstairs any longer. I closed my door behind me, dropping my school bag and landing right on my bed.

I was somewhat glad. Today was Friday, which means that I didn't have anything to wake up early for tomorrow. Saturday meant being able to sleep late, which was always a plus. Still, even though I was trying to keep my attention busy by looking up at the ceiling, I still had one thing on my mind.

I've yet to apologize to Haruhi. For as much as she can be a handful, I said some things to her that I shouldn't have, and put her in an even worse mood than she was before. Like Koizumi said, the only thing probably stopping her from re-creating the world was the fact that I was present. So, I buck up some courage, reaching for my cell phone.

For once, I found dialing Haruhi's number to be very hard. This wasn't so much of not wanting to talk to her, but more of a fear of the unknown. I had no idea how she was going to react, and with some of the facts I know now, I really had to be careful what I said to her.

But, I found the courage to do so, and soon, I was waiting for her to pick up. To tell the truth, it felt like an eternity. Finally, I heard the sound of her voice.

"Hello?"

For a moment, I couldn't speak. My throat felt constricted, and no words would leave my mouth. I struggled against myself, using all the willpower I had to talk.

"Haruhi…it's me, Kyon."

"Kyon? What do you want?"

I could already hear the annoyance in her voice. I guessed she was still somewhat mad.

"Well…I had something I needed to say. Look…about what I said in the clubroom…"

"What about it?"

She sounded impatient now. I can only wonder what she's expecting me to say.

"I wanted to say….that I'm sorry. I was stressed, and all those things I said about the Brigade, about you; I didn't mean any of it."

For once, I was being completely honest with her. As hard it is to admit it, I really didn't mean any of what I said. Call me a kiss-ass, but it's true.

For a few seconds, I didn't hear anything on the other line. I don't know what Haruhi's expression might have been in response to hearing my apology, but I think I would have liked to see it.

"Well…it's not all your fault. I might have been too hard on you. Being Brigade Chief, I guess I can forget that sometimes…"

Her answer certainly surprised me. She was actually admitting she'd done something wrong. I have to say, I was certainly impressed. It's these sides of Haruhi; the sides I see now and then; that I truly liked. Now I felt satisfied enough that I could suck up to her a bit more.

"It's nothing really. I got too angry about something unimportant. But that's the past. Well, I guess I should be going now…" I tell Suzumiya-san, but I'm surprised at her when she responds awfully quickly.

"Wait! I was going to ask you something. I was thinking that…as Brigade Chief, I feel like I should be bonding with my members more. So I wanted to ask you, Kyon…if tomorrow…we could do something together? You know; Brigade Chief to Brigade Member."

Now this was definitely the biggest surprise of the entire day. The fact that Haruhi was asking me to do something that didn't relate to time travelers, espers or aliens; was simply astounding. I couldn't help but humor her….unless that wasn't the case, and I'm just trying to make myself believe that. It's not important anyway…

"Um…sure." I respond, and Haruhi's mood seems to just suddenly light up.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow morning! I'll be at the corner, right by the stop sign! Be there 10'o clock sharp, or there'll be a penalty!"

After that, Suzumiya-san hangs up, and I lie back, suddenly feeling relaxed and relieved. Haruhi seems to be in a better mood now, and I have to admit feeling better as well, now that I've apologized to her. Still, I can't help but think back to what Itsuki was telling me.

I've just realized something; I think I just agreed to go on a date with her tomorrow.

Did I? It didn't sound so much like it, but I guess I can't be too sure. Still, if me being there will appease her, and save the universe from destruction, then I'll deal with it.

Although it's relatively early in the evening, I can feel myself suddenly becoming tired. Before I know it, I've fallen asleep.

Today was a one long day…

I can feel my eyes slowly opening, moving around as I can see the morning sun peeking through my window shades. I look over towards the clock, and my whole body becomes rigid at the sight of what time it is.

9: 30.

I roll out of my bed, panicked at how late I slept. Sure, I've slept late before, but when you've got Suzumiya-san potentially waiting on you, it's an entirely different matter. I rush over to my drawer, ripping out clothes I plan on wearing. I push my door open as I'm getting jeans on at the same time, and I'm hopping down the hallway as I attempt to put on socks.

So far, I've managed to evade my sister, as I know she'll only keep me at home longer. I struggle to put my shoes on as fast as possible, checking my hair in the mirror. It's messy, and to my surprise, I'm brushing my hair, and attempting to brush my teeth at the same time. For a guy who says he's not going on a date, I sure am preparing myself for one.

Finally, getting myself sorted out, I've already run out of the door. The street suddenly seems long, and checking my watch, I can see that it's now 9:50. I feel like a track runner; moving my legs as fast they can possibly go. Now that I think about it, getting my bike would have probably been a better idea, but in my rush, it completely crosses my mind.

After about 5 minutes of running, I can see the person I'm looking for. Haruhi is dressed a little more casually than I am, but she's wearing much brighter colors than me. Not much to my surprise, she has a T-shirt on that's got a big picture of a UFO on it.

"Haruhi…" I attempt to say, but I'm obviously out of breath. I literally collapse a few feet behind her, and she turns to see me sprawled on the sidewalk. I can already feel the various eyes of people staring at me as they walk by.

"You look like you've been running a marathon, Kyon. Well, you're not late, so you're lucky this time. Now get up! We've got a lot to do today!" She says to me, and I stand up, rubbing the back of my head.

I've got absolutely no idea what Suzumiya-san has planned today. Luckily, I was smart enough to bring my wallet, because I know she's going to make me spend my money on her.

Either way, I have to admit I'm looking forward to today. It's weird, but something inside me is glad that I'm get to be with Haruhi. And who knows, maybe I really am.

But for now, I'll let her drag me around to do whatever she wants to do. It's just me and her now.

It's certainly going to be an interesting Saturday, to say the least.


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay folks, this is by far...the longest, and most well-thought out chapter yet. If you're going to review something, definitely review this one. It took a few days, but I must say, I'm proud. Enjoy.**

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I had very little time to react before I felt Haruhi's hand grab mine. I must admit; for a girl, she had quite a powerful grip. Before I knew it, I was being pulled. I was being pulled like my hand was tied to the back of a speeding train. This was less than favorable.

"Come on, Kyon!" she said as she pulled me along. Our speed picked up as she began running. I knew if I didn't attempt to keep up, my feet would just painfully drag on the sidewalk.

"Is there such a rush?" I attempted to say as we were running fast along the sidewalk. I could already hear honks and angry curses all around us. It seemed that Suzumiya-san was running us through traffic and people alike. To her, they were all just in the way of whatever goal was in her mind.

"Today is only one day! We've got to use it up as much as possible!" Haruhi replied to me, unaware she had knocked over multiple people as she pulled me along. An old man who had been knocked aside yelled various obscenities at us as he raised his cane up in the air. Not so much a good way to start the day….

I knew Haruhi was athletic, but I certainly wasn't. We'd been running for about thirty minutes before finally reaching our destination. A destination she never really mentioned anything about. Like I said; I had trouble deciding if this whole thing was some sort of date or not. If Haruhi really loved me like Itsuki had said, then for all I know, this whole thing might be what she considered a date. One that I only partially agreed to. But, I'm not one to go arguing with a girl who can manipulate reality if she gets pissed.

I sigh. This day might be longer than expected…

"Here we are!" Suzumiya-san announced to me, and I looked up, almost out of breath. The building in front of me towered over us both, and the bricks that it was made up of were a drab gray color. On the front window, a sign read "Matsumoto Books". We were both standing in front of the local bookstore.

"The bookstore? This is your idea of fun?" I ask Haruhi, still slightly tired from the marathon she decided to run while dragging me along. Now, I'm not one to say I don't like books or something; but I expected that Haruhi might want to do something just a bit more exciting. As I have repeated time and time again; I never admit to knowing much about Suzumiya-san.

"Of course! I'm just doing what I would do if you weren't here, Kyon. Searching this place for any good reading material! But now I don't have to pay for any of it!" Suzumiya-san says, grabbing my hand as she pulls us both inside. I groan.

It's great that I've suddenly become her source of income. Because of course I have nothing better else to do than spend all my money on her! And since when did Suzumiya-san actually have the patience to actually pick up and read a book?

"So we're here to buy books for you?" I said to her, while various eyes looked at us as we walked inside. There were only a few people here; browsing around; but I could feel the stares focusing on me. The fact that Haruhi was dragging me around by the hand against my will may have been the cause. Well, I can't say it was against my will. I did agree to it. Somewhat.

The searching began with me following Haruhi wherever she managed to go throughout the bookstore. I can imagine that she would be mainly interested in any books that had to do with aliens, time travelers, or espers. Of course, that's just a wild guess…

"So let's see…" she says, as I stand behind here, watching her scan the rows upon rows of literature. Haruhi begins to pull out books at random, flipping through them and then putting them back. I saw her go through I Robot, lots of Steven King, and even some Michael Crichton. All without a second thought of what literary value these books might have.

Not that I've read any of them. I got out of those habits years ago.

"Is it hard to decide?" I ask sarcastically, my mind beginning to get bored from just watching Suzumiya-san.

"There's nothing I ever want in this stupid store! They never have that one book!" she replies, tossing aside a copy of Angels and Demons.

Well if you can't find anything here, then why do you continue to come back every Saturday? Is there even a point to such repetition? Then again, I should know better than to question the actions and motives of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Now, Haruhi is strolling down yet another aisle. Looking at the tiny sign at the front of it, I can see it says "role-playing". Ugh….I've heard of people who get way too into that kind of stuff. So; I'm naturally wary as I follow Haruhi down the small aisle of books.

"What's this?" she suddenly asks, picking up a rather large book. On the front, it reads, "Dungeons and Dragons: Dungeon Master's Guide." Those words manage to spark loud noises in my head.

I've heard of that game. It's was originally co-created by a guy named Gary Gygax. I remember actually hearing about his death recently. But that's not the point.

The point is, I've heard lots of bad things revolving around that game. Like about people getting crazy over it; forming weird cults and whatnot based around it. Now, I might assume that it's just a fun, relaxing, leisurely game that one might just play when friends around.

But the facts are as such. Haruhi will not get that, and sooner or later, she's going to force the entire Brigade to partake in it. Not to mention the fact that whatever the role of "Dungeon Master" is; I can only imagine Suzumiya-san automatically taking that role without question. In my sudden internal panic, I do the only thing I can think of.

"Hey! There's an entire section on the other side of the store that's all about aliens, espers and time travelers! I almost forgot about it." I suddenly exclaim.

Haruhi turns around faster than a top; immediately dropping the book in her hand.

Whew. That was close.

"WHERE?" she says to me, her voice loud and excited. Having lied of course, I have no really choice but to lead Suzumiya-san to a section that doesn't exist. When we reach the other side of the store, she had an annoyed look on her face; and she's obviously ticked off.

"I don't see anything like what you were talking about, Kyon!" Haruhi exclaims, prompting a look from the nearby clerk. I'm only assuming that Suzumiya-san is already causing a problem. For a moment, she looks left and right; attempting to find anything that might satiate her interest. But, Suzumiya-san comes upon nothing.

"This is useless then. Let's just go." Haruhi says, defeated. I can't help but sigh in relief. I've evaded a situation where I might have had to spend my cash. Now that's always a plus in my book. But, all good things must come to an end. And that was certainly the case this time around.

For as we were about to leave the book store, something suddenly catches Haruhi's eye. She gains a sudden burst of energy, sprinting towards what looks like a single book in the distance. My hopes all suddenly come crashing down.

"This is it!!!" She exclaims loudly, holding up a small book high above her head as if she had won some sort of trophy. From a distance, she looked utterly ridiculous to anyone who could see through the bookstore window. I walked beside her, looking closely to see exactly what book she'd found.

It was called "Chariots of The Gods: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past" and it was by someone named Erich Von Daniken. It seemed like it was the only Japanese-translated version left. All the other copies I could see were in a variety of other languages. To tell the truth, I've never heard of this book; so I couldn't help but ask why Haruhi was so interested in it.

"So is that the book you came here for?"

"Yes! Exactly the one! This book proves that aliens have been secretly affecting human history for thousands of years! I've been looking forever for this!" Haruhi nearly shouted to me, her voice now happier than ever. I should have expected it had something to do with time travelers, espers or aliens. Haruhi seemed happy enough that she found it though, so maybe I didn't have so much to worry about…

"And now you're going to buy it for me, Kyon! As Brigade Chief, I order you to!"

That was exactly what I wasn't hoping she would say. I sigh, realizing that arguing with her at this point is utterly useless. I check my wallet. Yup. I think I've got enough yen to last us the entire day. At least until Suzumiya-san decides she wants to purchase a new computer for the clubroom. That would not be in my favor at all…

So, after walking out of the bookstore, I could tell that Suzuzmiya-san was satisfied for the time being. The book she had wanted was now safely inside a bag that I was stuck carrying. And I think that the clerk had rushed us too; just to get Haruhi to leave. I wonder how much she truly goes to that bookstore….

But my questions could not be pondered upon at the present time, as Suzumiya-san had more planned for us.

"Okay, Kyon! I think we should go get something to eat. I'm starving!" Haruhi said to me, grabbing my hand once again as I was already being towed to a new destination. I expected she might once again be using me as her personal source of money. If I didn't know any better, someone could easily say we were going out. And in hindsight, this excursion so far was a date; minus the part where Haruhi expresses any affection at all towards me.

But, what Suzumiya-san did next surprised me quite a lot. As we were walking along, I could see her just suddenly glare back at me for no apparent reason.

"What?" I said, wondering why she looked like she was mad at me all of a sudden.

Haruhi didn't respond, continuing to pull me along. I didn't bother checking the time. I didn't really care what time it was anyway. I didn't see any familiar faces as we traversed the streets, and that fact relieved me. The last thing in the entire world I needed was for Taniguchi and Kunikida to see me being pulled around by Suzumiya-san. Then I would never hear the end of it till I left high school.

As we walked along, I wondered where exactly we were going. Haruhi seemed to know, but I guess she assumed I would get lost if she wasn't holding onto me. I could hear the laughs and whispers from all around. I almost felt like hiding my face.

Still, I keep wondering about all these angry glances she gives me from time to time. To me, it looks like she thinks I've done something wrong. What have I done? I'm catering to her every need right now. Isn't that what she wants?

After the mild walk, we finally reached our next destination. She had just managed to drag me to the front of a restaurant that served a lot of Western-styled food. I didn't mind this kind of cuisine, but sometimes I wondered how people in the West could stomach so much grease in one sitting. At least Japan wasn't a country with an obesity problem…

"This is where you want to eat?" I asked Haruhi, raising an eyebrow, slightly relieved we had stopped. At least she wasn't really pulling me anymore.

"I'm in the mood for it. Now are we going in or not?" Haruhi responded, giving my hand a tug as she glanced back at me. Her impatience was clear in the tone of her voice. I don't get what the rush is about.

Walking inside, the first thing I noticed was how Haruhi didn't even attempt to change the way she pulled me along as she looked for a free table. It seems that Suzumiya-san wasn't so much to care about what people thought of her. I have to say; I admire that about her. But when you come down to it, I admire a lot of things about Haruhi. I just have trouble admitting any of them; even to myself.

It took us very little time to find ourselves a seat. That was mostly because of Suzumiya-san finding one that was already occupied.

"Okay, get up! Me and my significant other need this table!" she said to a bunch of males who were collectively sitting at the table she specifically wanted. For a moment, they all looked at her like she was a mass murderer, and every single one of them stood up; except one. From the back, I could see he had light, blondish hair, and he spoke nonchalantly.

"And who are you to tell us all to leave?" he said, turning around to face Haruhi. In an instant, I recognized him as the Computer Research Society President. Suzumiya-san had decided to blackmail him and his club into giving us one of their prized computers; only a few days after I met her. I was surprised to see that any of them had actually left their homes.

At the sight of Haruhi though, I could see that the President was already reconsidering what he just said. He jumped out of his seat almost as fast as his members had. The look on his face was utterly priceless.

"You again? Oh, come on! Can't you just find another table?" he pleaded, but Suzumiya-san gave him an evilly mischievous smile.

"Sure. But we've still got all those pictures of you harassing Mikuru-chan. All it takes is me telling Kyon to distribute them…" she replied, knowing that those few words were all it would take to convince the President otherwise.

"Okay! You win. Again…" he said, putting his head down as he was obviously looking defeated. Without another word, he and his members walked out of the restaurant, and Haruhi merely smiled at me in triumph. Come to think of it, I only now realized she had called me her "significant other." Am I missing obvious hints? Why doesn't she just spit it out already? It's difficult enough that I have to appease her already…

Surprisingly, Suzumiya-san was very polite when it came to ordering our meal. I don't know if she believed I was the most generous guy on the planet, but she ordered the biggest burger on the menu. I really doubted she would even eat it all, but not one to argue, I only got myself a soda. When Haruhi asked me why I didn't get anything to eat, I told her that I wasn't really hungry. That was a lie of course.

As we waited for our food to arrive, I could see that a couple of tables away, there was a small group of girls; and they were eyeing us. I could have sworn I heard a few giggles.

It made me feel a little awkward, but I tried my best to ignore it. Suzumiya-san, on the other hand, seemed suddenly interested in the layout of my face. She was now staring at me for no apparent reason. This was even more awkward, I must say. Still….I'll admit that I sort of like those eyes of hers….

Of course, I figured Haruhi had to say something that was intended to bug me.

"What are you thinking about, Kyon?"

"Nothing important…"

"You're lying. I can tell."

And Suzumiya-san was partially right. I was lying. I had quite a lot on my mind. And as hard as it is to say it, most of it was about Haruhi Suzumiya. That fact, I'm not lying about.

"And you're staring at my face like it's a television. What's your point?" I replied to her, feeling a bit like maybe I should just challenge whatever she says.

Haruhi turned away from me for a moment, pouting as she crossed her arms. I still didn't get how she worked yet. To me, this all seemed like a big love-hate thing. Maybe Suzumiya-san couldn't admit she was in love?

She once told me…

"Men are worthless. Feelings of love are just a temporary lapse of judgment. Like a kind of mental illness."

Now I don't exactly know if Haruhi is lying to herself, or maybe I'm the one being lied to. Maybe this all just some big practical joke on me, and Itsuki is the one behind all of it. But why would I be mad if I didn't have to be in this predicament? I never wanted to partake in this is the first place….or did I? I agreed to this, so I must assume to myself that I did want to be here.

As my mind shuffled various thoughts, I couldn't get over the expression Haruhi had on her face. It was actually kind of cute. I can't even believe I thought that…

Nevertheless, I had the urge to humor her.

"You know, you're almost as cute as Asahina-san when you try to make yourself look mad." I said, and this statement immediately caused Haruhi to turn and face me. She looked at me like she was caught in a trance; as if she was unable to process the words I had said. I swear on my life that I could see a reddish color appearing on her cheeks.

But before she could say anything, I watched as one of the girls from a few tables away stand up. She walked like some sort of runway model as she headed for us; tossing her long, violet hair as she got closer.

Now, she was standing right next to us of our table, a prideful expression on her face.

"Hi." She said as nicely as she possibly could muster. This was directed towards me, but I could tell there was something in her voice that didn't sound right.

Haruhi had already turned around, completely surprised that this girl might have the audacity to even attempt to speak to me. I was almost sensing heat from across me.

"Hey, you're kind of cute." She said, and that time, I knew it was directed towards me. While it was quite flattering, it was also extremely awkward at the same time.

"Say, why don't you just ditch your friend and come with me? I mean, unless you'd rather associate with losers." The girl asked, and I already knew she was heading for trouble. I've known Haruhi Suzumiya long enough that I have always remembered one thing.

Don't get on her bad side. And from what I could see, this over-pompous girl was already going that way.

It didn't take long for Haruhi to stand up in response to what this girl had said. It also didn't take long for her to notice that a waiter was passing by with a very large ice cream sundae. I noticed that it also didn't take very long for Haruhi to fiercely grab the girl by the back of the head, and then grab the ice cream sundae off the waiter's tray, proceeding to shove the girl's face into it. The squelching sounds were louder than expected.

And so, this girl was now on the floor, her face wet with vanilla ice cream, her hair sticky from chocolate sauce. Haruhi was standing over her, a very dark glare in her eyes. I was half-scared, and half-glad that two girls were actually bickering over me. Well, fighting more like…

The girl looked up, but Haruhi said no words, giving her a death stare that probably meant "Lay off my catch." It didn't take long for this girl to go running out the door, ice cream still wet in her hair. It only took Haruhi to glance once at her friends, before they were off running as well. God, she sure has a way of scaring people.

It's easy to say that we ate quickly after that. There were no real words between us, and Haruhi didn't finish her meal, as I expected. So, we walked out as I was eating the last bit of the burger she didn't want. It was kind of gluttonous, but hey; I was hungry.

I could already see that it had become dark. How long have we been out? All day, I might assume. I guess time flies when you're with Haruhi. Or, perhaps she just made time go faster. I know that she can invariably cause such a thing. But, I don't really want to question much more. It becomes tiresome after awhile.

"So…where to next?" I say, and Haruhi looks back at me, her voice sounding upbeat.

"Well…there is one more place for us to go."

My mind was already beginning to sift through the possibilities, but I silenced my thoughts. Right now, I was in the mood for surprises. It's what made being around Suzumiya-san somewhat enjoyable.

"Let's go then." I reply, and now we're both walking side by side. The streetlights are just beginning to turn on, but I can still see the brightness of the much taller buildings in the distance. Me and Haruhi aren't alone on the street; people are still passing by now and then; absorbed in their own lives.

As we walk, Haruhi does something to really surprise me. Out of nowhere, she comes just a bit closer to me. She's almost close enough that she it feels as if she's about to rub against me. Until I feel her arm suddenly interlock with mine. Even as she does this, I can see what looks like a mixture of a blush, and at the same time, she's looking away, as if she's mad at me. I could only raise an uncertain eyebrow.

For a moment, I felt like pulling away from her. It would certainly be easy. Her grip on me wasn't at all strong, and all it took was a simple motion of my arm. But alas; I did not. We were now walking together, and to anyone, Haruhi looked like she might be my girlfriend.

Was she? She seemed to think so. It seems that all day she's been showing subtle signs of affection, but at the same time, she acted as if she was resenting them. It's as if she was in deep conflict with herself. Just like Koizumi had said to me before. This was obviously the reason for all the sudden instances of closed space he had been talking about.

Did I feel anything for her? Maybe yesterday…I would have said no. Now…I'm not so sure…

Luckily, Haruhi managed to say something as we walked, breaking my thought process.

"What do you think is going to happen to all of us…when high school's over?"

Now to me, that didn't sound like a very Haruhi-esque question. But, I couldn't help but answer truthfully.

"I…I don't really know. I've got no idea what I even want to do…once I get out into the world. It's something to think about…"

"And what's going to happen to the SOS Brigade? We're just going to disband…aren't we?"

I could easily tell a hint of sadness in Haruhi's voice. There was no mention of her duties as Brigade Chief in this sentence, and anyone could see that she was generally serious. For all her eccentricities, Koizumi had mentioned that she was still a rational girl.

"We'll all keep in touch. Something tells me we won't be too far apart." I said, somewhat serious. It's not like I wanted to leave the SOS Brigade. As much as I had complained early about it, I really enjoyed the club when it came down to it. The crazy mishaps we've gone through, along with all the ridiculous things Haruhi Suzumiya has thought up. Without a doubt, my life would be very boring without her. I really don't think I'd ever want to go back to those days.

"I hope so…" Haruhi replied. The utter fact that her voice sounded sad was bothering me. I wasn't used to hearing her like this. Maybe she was finally getting a reality check. I might have said that was a good thing, but to tell the truth; I didn't like it.

But her mood suddenly elevated, judging by her next statement.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, and I looked ahead to see exactly where we were. I really had no idea where we were going in the first place, so I was more than surprised to see that we had somehow arrived to a new destination. One I'd never been to before.

Before us, lay a small clearing. It looked humble, and had just enough space for two people to be comfortable. It was grassy, and it looked remarkably peaceful. Somehow, it was divided from the street. To me, it looked oddly out of place. I felt the tug from Haruhi's hand as she smiled at me to follow.

"Come on! I want to show you this, Kyon." She said, and as she brought me into the clearing, it only took me one look upwards to see what she was talking about.

For above us, the stars themselves were brighter than ever. I expected that light pollution might have made it hard to see anything in the night sky, but this was certainly an exception. Each star above us dotted the dark sky like a miniature light bulb. They individually shined; and to any onlooker, they seemed as if they were humble being amongst their own kind. A few shined brighter than the rest. I was amazed at this sight.

"I come here a lot. Looking up at the stars. Wondering what's out there." Haruhi said to me, and I turned to face her.

I couldn't look away. In that moment, Haruhi Suzumiya was by far the most beautiful girl in the world. It was like she had been perfectly carved from marble. Every feature was flawless. I could not begin to comprehend all of these sudden thoughts. I was impressed with her, for one thing. That she could be this sentimental; well, it made me only wonder more. But what was scaring me now…was that I was beginning to feel…drawn to her.

Is this what Haruhi had wanted all this time? Could she have indirectly caused this very scene to occur? Perhaps she's subconsciously creating it. Perhaps this one patch of grassy land, which seemed to be seated perfectly under the starry sky, was never actually here. Perhaps. But every question left my head the moment that Suzumiya-san turned to face me.

That was it. I could already feel myself getting lost. I was getting lost in her amber orbs that were her eyes. I never expected something like this. I never expected this situation to ever occur. This was more out there than I could ever imagine.

It was only then that I felt Haruhi's hand suddenly begin to touch mine. It took her only a few seconds to take hold of my hand, and she was now clearly blushing. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to say. I was speechless.

And now, Haruhi was staring into my eyes. She looked dazed. For a moment, I could see her glancing away; as if she was trying her hardest not to give in to some unknown force. But she couldn't fight against it any longer, facing me again.

And then she began moving closer to me. I did nothing. In my mind, I was telling myself to say something; but my body wouldn't listen. I knew exactly what was going to happen. Suzumiya-san was done holding back now. Her face was only inches away. I could feel her breath. I could see the details in her eyes. I still stood there, waiting for the inevitable.

But it never came. Because all of a sudden; bright light flashed in my eyes. I could hear voices, and I watched as Haruhi turned towards the source. I was shielding my eyes, and I could clearly see someone with a flashlight, just behind us.

"Didn't I tell you? I knew there was something going on between these two." A voice said, and it was the one holding the flashlight. It was none other than Tainguchi. The voice was unmistakable. There was someone else standing next to him, and I could see that person to be Kunikida.

Surprisingly, my blood was boiling a bit. Taniguchi had just ruined a perfect moment right there.

"I have a feeling we shouldn't be here…" Kunikida added, and as I looked next to me, I saw exactly why.

Haruhi was angry. Angrier than I've ever seen her. Her face looked like it was about to crack from pressure. Her eyes could have been blazing with flames. Her fists were clenched tightly. She was pissed.

"But now do you believe me? I told something was going on between theses two. You said it yourself. Kyon always liked weird girls." Taniguchi exclaimed, but I could see that Kunikida was hesitant to respond. He looked afraid. And for good reason.

Taniguchi had no time to react as Haruhi came down on him. Her fist connected right into his face. I could have sworn I saw a tooth fly right out. She didn't give Kunikida much of a chance either, grabbing him by the shirt collar as he tried to run. She pulled him back, kneeing him hard in the stomach.

This was brutal. I'd never seen Suzumiya-san get this violent. But now that I was pissed because these two had invaded our privacy, I couldn't help but almost enjoy it. I'm sick that way sometimes.

After that, both of them were now sprawled on the ground. Blood was coming down one of Taniguchi's nostrils, and Kunikida was clutching his stomach. I'm starting to think Haruhi might have seriously done some damage to both of them.

"Don't you think that might have been a bit much?" I said to her, walking over and looking down at the two of them. Haruhi turned to face me, not so angry anymore, but her face now serious.

"They'll live. Let's just go."

So, we left them. Of course, I could clearly hear both of them scurry away like mice; once Haruhi was out of their sight. I don't think they'll be pestering me about her anymore. It's kind of a relief, actually.

Still, Suzumiya-san was inherently silent as we walked back. She didn't say a word to me at all. I couldn't think of anything to say either.

What would have happened back there? If Taniguchi and Kunikida hadn't shown up when they did; would I have kissed Haruhi Suzumiya? Was I truly humoring her….or was this something else?

I had a lot of time to think as we walked back. When we got to the front of Haruhi's house, I couldn't help but break the silence.

"Today was fun, Haruhi…" I said, my voice sounding awkward. I meant that in all seriousness.

Suzumiya-san looked back at me, and she looked like she was pondering on what to do next. She moved a little closer now, speaking in her usual, upbeat tone.

"Yeah…it was. I'm glad we had this time together. Your Brigade Chief is certainly glad you could be of service…"

I might have groaned at that response before, but I had no urge to do it this time. I smiled. Before I could do anything else, I felt Haruhi suddenly move a little closer than I expected. I felt something soft touch my cheek. It took me a few seconds to realize she had just kissed me. Now I was really speechless.

"See you, Kyon!" she said to me as she headed for her front door; almost as if she had done nothing. I had my hand to my cheek right now. I think my face was as red as blood.

I have never said that I claim to understand the ways of Suzumiya-san. She's the most eccentric girl I know, but even she can be prone to her normal outbursts. What she had just done, the fact she had just kissed me on the cheek; just completely blew my mind. My heart was pounding like a drum, and even I couldn't deny it. Koizumi had been right the whole time.

I think I may be in love. With who, you might ask? Well, I am extremely surprised to say this, but it seems that it is none other than Haruhi Suzumiya. Now that will remain much weirder than any time traveler, esper, or alien that I could ever meet.

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**To all my readers, no. The story is not over yet. There is still a lot left to write. And besides, this is way too much fun to stop writing. Next chapter soon enough. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**And here is the next chapter! Hope I'm not boring any of you! Enjoy!**

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Anyone might assume that a lot was on my mind since that Saturday I spent with Haruhi. And I can't lie about it. There was.

Is it a crime to think this much? My thoughts have been in constant disarray since that day. One minute, I had been dreading every moment that I had to spend with Suzumiya-san, and then the next, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

When I walked home that night, I could see her face in my thoughts. When I fell asleep, she was in my dreams constantly. Although I don't feel so comfortable going into those details. You get the idea. And if you don't……

Never mind.

The point is, I found myself still thinking about Haruhi Suzumiya even as my Sunday passed by with the speed of a snail on depressants. The added effect of a sister who bounces off walls doesn't help much either. Depressants and stimulants are never a good mix.

So, I was relived that it was now Monday morning. I got out of bed with just a bit more energy then usual. I guess all the thinking I did jumpstarted my entire body. Either way, I was still eager to get out of the house as quickly as possible.

The morning hike routine became suddenly pleasant. I think that it's the whole walking in solitude part of it. I get to think, and there are no interruptions to my thoughts. What surprised me most; was that I did not see any sign of Taniguchi or Kunikida at all. That almost worried me too. Maybe they were mentally traumatized from what Suzumiya-san had done to them. Or maybe I was just worrying too much.

I think I should be careful around her from now on. I never knew she could really do something like what she did to those two…

It's safe to say that I was also pleased upon entering the classroom, just as I was from my morning hike. Although this time, there was something a little different, in the form of who was sitting in the seat behind me.

Haruhi was now occupying that seat, and I looked up at the clock, seeing that there was still some time before class actually began. She had her head down, as if she was aimlessly staring ahead for no reason. I hesitated even moving for a moment, but I got over it; strolling over to my seat, sitting down, and turning to face Suzumiya-san.

"Yo." I said to her, flashing a smile. She didn't really respond at first, looking at me like I was a total stranger.

"Today is boring. Just like every other day." Haruhi replied, the expression on her face remaining the same. I raised an eyebrow. She'd been so energetic yesterday. What was with all this sudden melancholy?

"What's with you? Did I tire you out on Saturday?" I said, smiling as I attempted to make a poor excuse of a joke. Haruhi glared at me, her eyes unchanging as she spoke.

"Saturday was boring. Just like every other day." She said to me, and I became surprised in an instant. I've seen mood changes in Haruhi before, but never like this. It sounded to me like she was trying to avoid what happened between us that day…..and come to think of it; maybe I should be avoiding it too.

"You forgot about it already?" I said, curious as to how Suzumiya-san would respond. She didn't look at me this time, proceeding to bury her head in her arms, her voice made up of mumbles as she replied to me.

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm too tired right now."

I had a confused expression on my face, scratching my head as I turned away from Suzumiya-san. What's with her? She can't get enough of you one day, and then she doesn't even want to talk to you the next. Like I said; she's the strangest and most eccentric girl I know.

Class went remarkably slow, but I found that today I could actually pay attention to what was being taught. For once, I wasn't falling asleep. I took a few glances back at Haruhi as class went on. She had her head buried in her arms the whole time. She looked like someone going through manic depression. Either it was that, or she just didn't get any sleep the other night. I doubt I'll ever know.

When lunchtime came, Haruhi left the classroom before I could even say another word. I thought about saying something to her, but I did not. I don't know where she could be going, but I didn't even attempt to ask.

As I munched on a piece of fried shrimp, I saw two familiar faces approach where I was sitting. Taniguchi and Kunikida were both alive and kicking, although I noticed a white bandage on Taniguchi's nose as they got closer. I guess Haruhi must have hit him pretty hard then.

"So you're both alive?" I said as they both took a seat. Taniguchi looked at a loss for words, but he still managed to speak before Kunikida.

"I had a feeling something like this was going to happen to you. I knew that you and Suzumiya where going to end up going out. You're officially part of her weird crowd now, Kyon." He said, looking as if he was trying to avoid eye contact. There was a purplish bruise that could partially be seen underneath the white bandage on his nose.

Well; since when was I not part of her crowd? I've been in the SOS Brigade for God knows how long. Maybe I should just reference God as "Suzumiya-san" at this point. And since when did people start thinking that me and Haruhi were together?

"Is that why you two decided to stumble upon us? So you could finally prove your claims?" I said to Taniguchi, but he didn't answer me this time around. Kunikida looked as if he'd been keeping something to himself this whole time, breathing in as he began to speak.

"Well, it definitely wasn't my idea. Taniguchi was out doing what he called "lady-hunting". We found you and Suzumiya-san by accident. I know I said you liked weird girls, but I think I should add that you like girls who can hit hard. My stomach still hurts…" he said to me, genuine honesty in his voice. I've always preferred him over Taniguchi.

"We'll just leave you to your mistress. Suzumiya's pretty good-looking and all, but there's that weirdness of hers that will scare off any guy. Any guy but you, I guess." Taniguchi added as he chewed a steamed dumpling. As much as I was beginning to admit that I might have these feelings for Haruhi, it's really starting to bug me that everyone seems to assume things before they even happen.

If there's one thing I had to point out about what Taniguchi had said, I would have to say he sounded almost disappointed. Or maybe even jealous? I don't know. And I don't really care.

I was eager to get to the clubroom at this point. When my classes had finally ended for the day, I was wearing a smile on my face as I headed to my destination. I guess my sudden happiness was probably from wanting to see Haruhi. Maybe her melancholy had gone away throughout the day. At least; I hope.

Opening the door, I said my usual greeting as I walked in. It seemed like everyone was present this time around.

Itsuki was sitting at the table in the middle of the room as usual, giving me his usual, plastic smile as usual. It didn't annoy me at all this time. Mikuru was right next to him, already serving him tea. The air was full of the wonderful aroma, so I assumed she just brewed it. Yuki was reading a book as usual. What book, I can never be too sure; but I don't think she would read the same one over and over again. Even an alien like her must need some variety.

And then there was the person I wanted to see the most. It was Haruhi. She was sitting in front of the computer, looking bored as she clicked the mouse; staring at the screen like it was controlling her brain. Internally, I was already beginning to get disappointed. She still looked just as melancholic as she had this morning. And judging by pressure she was applying as she used the mouse, it sounded like she was partially angry as well.

So, instead of walking over to greet her, I opted to sit in front of Koizumi; as I've done multiple times in the past. Mikuru was working on clockwork, serving me tea the moment I said down. She gave me the sweetest smile, and I thanked her as always. That smile of hers never ceases to fail in boosting my mood.

"So how's life treating you, Koizumi?" I said to the esper across the table from me. His hair slightly waved for a moment, as if it was being affected by wind, but he replied to me as usual.

"It's good. I assume you must be holding up well?"

"Yeah, I guess I could say that. Or maybe I'm just in an abnormally good mood today." I said, putting a hand on the back of my head as I flashed a grin. I never grin. This must be some sort of chemical imbalance in me or something.

"This is so boring!" Haruhi exclaimed, suddenly standing up from the computer and getting everyone's attention. She crossed her arms as she gave us all a death glare.

"What do you expect us all to do? You're the Brigade Chief. Come up with something." I told her, but she just seemed to narrow her eyes and pout about it in response. I could tell that Suzumiya-san was trying to come up with an answer that would either contradict what I said, or make her sound right.

"Nothing ever happens anymore! We haven't found anything strange, bizarre or unusual in weeks. What kind of club are we if we never have anything to do? Is the SOS Brigade just going to turn into another useless club for people to socialize in?" Haruhi exclaimed, and I could sense she was already beginning to get mad.

Like making the SOS Brigade a club where people just have fun would be a bad thing. It just wouldn't be strange enough for Suzumiya-san's tastes, is all.

"Well….you can't just make strange things appear out of nowhere, Haruhi."

I lied when I said that. Suzumiya-san certainly could do that. It's just that she doesn't know that.

Haruhi looked at me like I had committed treason again. I don't know if she was really mad at me, but I assumed she was probably trying her best to make her outward appearance look like she was. Of course, her response to me was full of brashness.

"What's the point of this club if we're all just going to sit around? I don't know about you, Kyon; but I want to go out there and see what's waiting for us! The SOS Brigade isn't supposed to be just another useless school club! We have an important purpose!"

I sighed. Haruhi was going out on a limb at this point. Whenever she goes on her tirades, it seems that everyone just stays quiet until she's content with herself and finished. And this was no exception. No one spoke while Suzumiya-san would mouth her opinions. We would all just wait for her to silence, and then we might add something that she would just probably disregard.

Haruhi seemed to be waiting for a reply from one of us now. Yuki didn't even look up from her book, and Mikuru was her cute, speechless self as always. Itsuki probably didn't have anything to say, so I wasn't surprised to see him silent. In truth, I probably had a lot I could say to Haruhi. Quite a lot…actually….

But I kept quiet too.

After about a minute of this silence, Suzumiya-san just seemed to have gotten fed up. She picked up her bag, stomping over to the door, turning to face us; and pointing at the rest of the clubroom as a whole.

"I'm done for the day! This sitting around is pointless, and I know that something is going to pop up soon enough! Whether it be a mysterious disappearance, an alien sighting, or anything; something will happen! But until then, all of you better get here on time every day! Just because we haven't found anything, doesn't give any of you the excuse to be tardy!" Haruhi announced to us, before closing the door behind her as she briskly walked out.

Well, a plus to all of this was probably the fact that Haruhi didn't pinpoint me in the brunt of her anger. I think I kind of enjoyed hearing that all the other members were to be blamed for the lack of activity in the SOS Brigade just as much as I was. After Haruhi left, it didn't take long for Itsuki to begin talking as he normally would.

"Suzumiya-san doesn't seem too happy."

"You think so?" I responded sarcastically. It amazed me how much Itsuki liked to point out the obvious sometimes.

"So have you noticed anything of interest surrounding Suzumiya-san? If you have, it very much might help us for things to come." he asked, and that made me shudder.

I couldn't help but become a little worried at the mention of "things to come". Koizumi always seemed a step ahead of me whenever it came to Haruhi, and I've never felt too great about it, especially considering that both Yuki and Mikuru probably knew just as much regarding Suzumiya-san as he did. Being the normal human that I was, I was quite jealous of the three of them and their knowledge. I was always the one always left in the dark.

"Well…I realized something about Haruhi. This is kind of embarrassing….but…I…"

"You've become infatuated with her, haven't you? I told you this would happen. It's not something you have much control over."

What, can he read minds now? I can understand him deducing that answer based on anything I've told him, but the fact is; I didn't really tell him anything. Where the hell does Koizumi get all this information?

"Somewhat…I guess. It's hard to explain…"

"You realize that she's still in conflict with herself."

"What?" I asked, not understanding exactly what Itsuki was implying. He had mentioned this before.

"It should be easy for anyone to see. Haruhi is fighting with herself right now. I can tell that her mood swings are showing the constant changes in her emotions. She's fighting about whether or not she can admit to herself that she feels the way she feels about you, Kyon. I'm afraid that if this continues, we might have to start worrying. I don't think it's even closed space that we'll have to be worrying about this time. I predict this too be far worse."

Itsuki seemed obviously positive about all this. If it wasn't Haruhi threatening to rip apart reality one minute, it was happening again the next. I don't understand why she can't just make up her mind. Either she loves me or not! And why the hell am I arguing about this in my head? It's not like I feel that strongly about her….or do I?

"I don't get it. On Saturday….she gave me a kiss out of nowhere. So why is she suddenly all bored and dissatisfied?" I asked Koizumi, trying to get the thoughts to leave my head.

"It would be impossible to explain. Suzumiya-san's mood changes frequently and I can never be too sure when she'll be content, and when she won't. We do know why she is acting like this. But we will have to find an alternative solution that will satiate her conflicting emotions. We have to get her mind of you, and onto something else." Itsuki replied

Well, that would be the obvious answer. Distract a god for awhile, until she can vent out her unbridled boredom another time in the future. Or, hopefully Haruhi would just forget about her love for me. Well, hopefully not. Damn! why that out of every girl in my school, I had to fall for the one that was not only the weirdest, but the one that happened to become the living incarnation of God?

"So you're saying we need to come up with something to keep her mind off of me?"

"Exactly. Otherwise, I think the results could be possibly catastrophic."

"What exactly might happen this time…if we don't satiate Haruhi?" I asked curiously, and to my surprise, Yuki Nagato actually looked up from what she was reading. She blinked once, closing her book for a moment as she stared forward into space. There was no sign of expression on her face at all. Her voice was monotone and robotic as always.

"In the event that Suzumiya-san decides this world has become outdated, I assume she will merely create a new one without second thought. We've seen this before, but in this situation, she may very well affect the data around her in the instant she becomes too dissatisfied. This could possibly mean the end of the current universe, along with the end of this world. That is the most probable result."

Yuki went back to reading her book, as if her words had no bearing whatsoever.

Great! More chances of the world being destroyed because of Haruhi and her emotions!

Mikuru had no words for all this, and she simply refilled out cups when we had finished the tea. I guessed she might just be trying to boost up our spirits more. I could see she was trying her best to smile, even though her eyes showed signs of sadness. This was almost painful to watch.

"So what do you propose we do about all this then?" I said to Itsuki, turning to face him now. He narrowed his eyes, his voice in a clearly serious tone as he spoke.

"I'm thinking we may need to stage some sort of alien sighting or something equally strange. It needs to be something sufficient enough that it will keep Suzumiya-san busy and focused for the time being."

I sighed at hearing Itsuki's idea. I knew we were all going to end up trekking the city for something. And now we were once again going to cater to Haruhi's needs like there was no tomorrow.

And I still can't get her face out of my head! Damn this brain of mine!


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, here's the next chapter due to popular demand! Hope you people enjoy it!**

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It seems to me that whenever we as a whole have to make Haruhi content with the world, it will usually involve doing something outlandish for her to question and doubt. I for one find it strange that Suzumiya-san can doubt the very things she's always searching for. Haruhi has always wanted the extraordinary, more or less.

I think it's extraordinary that I'm somehow in love with her. In all my years of life, I would never expect that the first girl I would truly fall for would be the most eccentric one on the planet. Not to mention this very girl is a god in a sense. And the fact that this girl bosses me around like there's no tomorrow.

If I did end up being in Haruhi, I can't help but ask myself….who would be the man in the relationship? Hmm…perhaps I shouldn't ask that….

It's safe to say that my nights go very quickly after leaving the clubroom everyday. My thoughts have been around Suzumiya-san quite a lot. Her face has burned in my mind like some sort of satanic brand. It's really bothersome at times.

As I lay in my bed, struggling to fall asleep, I am once again thinking of Suzumiya-san again. I think I'm beginning to feel like a disciple in of Suzumiya-san. If you think about it, we sort of are. She commands us to spread the word of the Brigade, and we do so without question. It could also be like some sort of fascist government.

But what is Haruhi to me? I've asked myself that question multiple times, but the answer was never clear. Even now, when I know that I'm actually infatuated with her; the answer is still not clear.

So what do I do now? Tell her what I really think of her? I imagine she might just think I'm pulling a joke on her. But, if Koizumi is telling the truth, and she really was the one who was in love with me in the first place, then her reaction would probably be much different.

I feel my hands already going to pull out my hair. The images of Haruhi undressing have broken into the sanctity of my mind. Damn this teenage body!

And so, I decide to forget about it for the time being, rolling over in my bed as I think about sleep, and only sleep.

The morning came much faster then expected. I was disheveled; tumbling out of my covers and onto my carpet floor as I woke up. My head was hurting. I can't even remember what I dreamt about last night.

Wait a second; of course I do.

I was taking a bath......wait, that's not a dream I want to talk about. Let's just say that Haruhi was once again in it. Case closed.

I managed to successfully avoid my sister this morning as I got out of my bed and literally almost ran out of the door. School seemed like a sudden safe haven, so I figured that I would like to get on my morning hike as fast as I possibly could.

And today, I was walking fast as well. No Taniguchi. That was a plus, although he hasn't been his usual, stupid self. I think that by punching his nose, Haruhi not only knocked some sense into him, but knocked out part of his deluded sense of humor

I ran up the stairs to my class, my mind racing. Every thought had continued to center around Haruhi Suzumiya in some way. It was becoming to the point where I felt like I needed to just scream it to the whole world. But being the reasonable person I am, I certainly did not.

As I walked into class, the sight of Haruhi seemed to just suddenly warm my heart. Even though she had her head buried in her arms, I still couldn't help but be glad to see she was there. How much do I care about this girl again?

"Morning." I said a little cheerfully to Haruhi, who didn't even seem in the mood to give a response. In fact, she didn't seem in the mood to talk at all.

"Haruhi?" I asked her, but she still said nothing. I was already beginning to get worried. The melancholy was back again, and it sounded worse than ever this time around. Why was she getting all these sudden mood swings? It wasn't all about me, was it?

So, I decided to not try to speak to her much longer, turning to pay attention for class.

And class seemed to be going remarkably slow today. I found myself tapping my pencil on my desk multiple times, boredom gripping me. I was starting to miss all the crazy things Haruhi would do to me right in the middle of class.

When lunch came, I turned to face Haruhi again, and luckily, she didn't get up and leave. She finally got out of the safety of her arms, and she blinked her amber eyes as she just stared at me.

"Are you finished being all depressed?" I said jokingly, searching around my bag for my lunch.

"I wasn't depressed! I was just bored…everything's boring these days…" Haruhi replied, and when I had my lunch in my hands, I could see she was looking out the window, an absent-minded look on her face. It reminded me of the first time I met her.

At least she's talking now. Even though it's still not so much Haruhi, it's better than nothing.

"It's only boring if you make it boring. Maybe we should search the city more." I added, realizing what I said was probably not the smartest thing to say. I wasn't always going to be in the mood for city treks.

"And that leads to nothing. And then what? What are we going to do wh-"

Haruhi stopped. Her eyes were growing bigger, and I could see she was moving her face closer and closer to the window pane. She looked like a little kid looking out a school bus window. A smile was cracking on her face.

"**WHAT WAS THAT?!?!**" she screamed, jumping up out of her desk, surprising me, and causing everyone to turn and stare. I was on the floor, having almost had a heart attack from Haruhi's outburst. I got up, obviously embarrassed.

"What was what…" I said, rubbing the back of my head. The stares had not averted themselves yet. Haruhi didn't seem to care so much, of course.

"I saw it! There was something flying through the sky! It was like a big white basketball or something!" she exclaimed loudly, and I was sure the class could hear her soundly. I didn't attempt to tell her to lower her voice, because I knew she wouldn't listen.

"A white basketball?"

"It was an alien!" she told me, suddenly pulling out her copy of "Chariots Of The Gods" out of her school bag. It was the very same one I had bought her on Saturday. The expression on her face was the same one she wore just before she was about to announce her next crazy idea.

"This book says that ancient humans described alien sightings as big white globes of light! Books like these are never wrong! This means that I just saw an alien! It was a close encounter of the first kind!" she exclaimed to me, pushing her book in my face like it was the source of undeniable truth. I probably shouldn't have bought her that. At least she's happier now.

"This school day better go quick! We've got a lot to do!"

To my utter dismay, the school day did go quick. Now I was being pulled by Suzumiya-san by the hand as she sprinted to the clubroom. When she's in a rush like this, it's best just to hope that you don't become a skid mark on the ground.

The room to the clubroom was flung open as Haruhi and me both entered. The look on Haruhi's face was the same one she would have time and time again. That mischievous look that meant she had just had a great idea. Or it was a usually insane idea. To her, they were both one and the same.

"We've got some work to do today!" she announced to us. I had already sneaked past her, having gone to sit by Koizumi. Mikuru blinked multiple times as she turned to face Haruhi. I guess she was surprised that Suzumiya-san was so happy all of a sudden. Yuki was silent as always.

"W-W-What kind of work?" Mikuru asked shyly, and I hit myself on the forehead as I watched the expression on Haruhi's face turn devilish. She had her hands outstretched, walking towards Mikuru like some sort of zombie.

"Well, you need to change first! I forgot we've got a flight attendant outfit for you to wear!"

It didn't take long for me and Itsuki to get the cue to walk out. And it also didn't take very long for us to hear the cries that came from within the clubroom.

_"Waaaaaaait!"_

_"Stop struggling! Get your clothes off now!"_

_"Owwwwww! You're being to rough!"_

_"Mikuru-chan, just be quiet! Now get that off too! This will make you more appealing to the aliens!"_

I think to anyone passing by, it sounded like Haruhi was violating Mikuru in more ways than imaginable. I knew better, but even I questioned that sometimes. After a few more minutes, Haurhi opened the door to let us in.

When we entered, we were greeted by Mikuru-chan, who was now clad in a navy-blue flight attendant outfit. It was revealing at certain points, and so I couldn't help but avert my eyes as I passed by her. Mikuru seemed to almost go into tears for a moment, but she sighed as she wiped them away. Haruhi had the same expression on her face as usual.

"Doesn't Mikuru-chan look super sexy? I think she'll attract tons of aliens!" Haruhi stated, and I could only sigh.

What kind of aliens do you want to attract? The tentacle monster kind? That's disgusting….of course…

"Did you have any part in this alien sighting thing?" I whispered to Itsuki. He gave me slight smile before responding.

"Actually; no. I think this is all of Suzumiya-san's accord. That; or she's lying to herself, which I sincerely doubt."

Figures. I had a feeling that the boredom would get to Haruhi and cause her to create a situation like this. But it was still in the afternoon, so we were going to have to wait till nighttime until we could do whatever Haruhi wanted us to do.

I got stuck working on the webpage. Haruhi had pretty much commanded me to do so, and as usual, I didn't have much of a choice. She said we needed to start figuring out a way to make it English-readable, so we can attract more viewers.

"Viewers that will wonder what the hell we're saying…" I said under my breath. I don't think she understands that Japanese doesn't convert well into English. Just look at the way they dub anime.

Meanwhile, Haruhi was going through the shelves and desks in the clubroom as I worked on the webpage. Mikuru had decided to serve us all tea again, and as much as I shouldn't say this; the flight attendant outfit was quite fitting. I was already secretly waiting for the moment where Haruhi would say that we needed more knockout pose pictures.

As I surfed aimlessly around the webpage, Haruhi suddenly came up behind me, as if checking up on my work.

"Kyon! Do something useful! You're on the wrong part of the site!" she said to me, and to my surprise, she was suddenly leaning her body on my back, her hand suddenly on mine as she moved the mouse. This was certainly awkward; especially since it was in front of everyone.

As a teenage boy, it's safe to say I didn't mind it much. It was still a little embarrassing though. Haruhi never seems to care about things like this though. She just does it without second thought. In my thinking, my mind suddenly glossed over Haruhi's views on the more…serious aspects of a relationship…

And I stopped myself there. Some things are better left unsaid.

After Haruhi had handled me to satisfaction, we were waiting again for the night to come. It was another half-hour before it got dark. Once the sun had gone down, Haruhi went to the front of the room again, announcing her plan.

"Okay! Mikuru-chan; go by the window! Yuki and me are going to dangle you outside of it, and you're going to wave these up and down as we do! The flight attendant suit and these lights should get some sort of extraterrestrial attention!" Haruhi said, showing that two large flashlights were in both of her hands. She smiled to us as usual.

I groaned. Now this was going to be a sight to see. Mikuru-chan wildly waving flashlights up and down in a skimpy outfit while dangling outside a window. Whoever was down below would be extremely lucky.

After some struggling, Yuki and Haruhi managed to hold Mikuru-chan steady out of the open window. I was surprised she would even fit, and more surprised that Yuki had actually just gotten up from her reading and did exactly what Haruhi told her to do.

"Suzumiya-san…this is scary…" Mikuru-chan said from outside the window. I felt bad. Anyone being dangled at such a height would probably very scared. I could see from behind that Mikuru was shaking.

"Suck it up! Now start waving! We need to get the aliens attention!" Haruhi barked, and Mikuru began to oblige, slowly beginning to wave the flashlights in her hands up and down. I had a feeling they weren't the only things moving up and down as she waved her arms….

Once again, my mind thinks things without my consent.

"Turn the lights on, Mikuru-chan!" Haruhi added, and I could see a flicker of white light on either side of Mikuru from the other side of the window. I can imagine Mikuru-chan was doing all of this through tears. I should be doing something, but I did not.

"Wave faster, Mikuru-chan!"

"Aliens! We would like a word with you!" Mikuru said as loud as her soft voice could muster. Haruhi's impatience wasn't much of a help, and I felt bad for Mikuru as she was forced to do this. I did nothing as always, so I might have been just as guilty as Haruhi.

This went on for about thirty minutes, before Haruhi decided to give up. It wasn't long before we had all left the clubroom, although I was walking with Haruhi when we got out. It was late, and the streetlights had been on for awhile.

"I think we should just get bigger lights. Then the aliens would be able to see the signals easier…" Haruhi said to me as we began the walk back home. She was looking down, as if planning her next move.

"Sounds like an idea to me. Maybe they need to be colored lights. That way they would be more noticeable to any unidentified craft." I responded, actually agreeing with Suzumiya-san for once. I have to admit it; it was kind of fun to talk to her like this when she was in a decent mood.

"Great idea, Kyon! When they land, we can personally show them around! And if they're tentacle monsters, we'll just hope we make it out unscathed. It already sounds exciting!" Haruhi replied, a smile lighting up her face. Even in the dark of night, every detail of her visage was just as perfect as it was during the light of day.

"Sure does."

"There's my house. Today wasn't so boring after all." She said, turning to face me. There was a different light in her eyes now. It seemed happier.

It was hard to stop myself from wanting to move closer. At the same time, Haruhi couldn't help but do the same. We were only a few inches away before she just turned away. I felt the warmth of her breath just before. Her amber eyes were now in confusion, and she spoke quickly.

"I…I should be going." She said to me, turning to run towards her house. I was left standing there.

I was confused. Was she really in conflict with herself like Itsuki had said?

If this is true, then that means I've still got much to learn about Suzumiya-san. But I've always had a lot to learn about her. I sighed.

It's going to be a long road to get there….


	10. Chapter 10

**The next chapter is here! Sorry to keep you all waiting! Been writing this and CrossWorld at once, so I'm multi-tasking. Enjoy!**

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It doesn't take an idiot to know when you're not wanted by Suzumiya-san. And I am certainly not an idiot.

I had decided that it had gotten late enough already, so the only option in front of me was to walk home and try to forget about the recent reaction I had received from Haruhi. I knew she was a strange, weird girl, with stranger, weirder ways of expressing herself, but the fact she was almost avoiding all of her feelings was strange enough; even for me.

When I arrived home, I took no time in going straight to my room. I felt tired and weary. This day felt long and boring, and I just wanted to get to tomorrow as quickly as possible. Hopefully it would be a tomorrow in which Suzumiya-san was feeling better. I was starting to feel fear; thoughts of her suddenly avoiding me etching inside my mind.

I must admit; it seems that I really do care for her now. Perhaps I always have, and these sudden, new feelings only surfaced when I was able to finally admit it to myself. Perhaps since the day I first met Haruhi Suzumiya, these emotions were subconscious in my brain, having emerged when the time was right.

Something told me the time wasn't so right.

Sleep came quicker than I expected after I just lay down on my bed, and before I knew it, I was rudely awakened by a more than familiar voice emanating from outside my door.

"Kyon-kun!" it yelled; over and over again. Tiny hands battered against my locked door, a feeble attempt to get me out of my bed. A feeble attempt that worked.

I hastily threw on my school uniform. My hair was a mess, and the bathroom would be my first stop before I left for school. I opened my door slowly, and the same, childish face greeted me.

"You're up!" my sister said to me, giving me her usual smile. It never had the extreme cute effect on me that it had on everyone else. I stopped myself before I could groan.

"And you're in my way. Could you step aside?" I asked, my voice sounding polite even though the said question may have sounded obnoxious. But morning was never so much my favorite time of the day. I think I preferred any other time to the bleak, weariness of the early school morning.

My sister just gave me another smile, running down the hallway to God knows where. I didn't care, my mind set on reaching the bathroom, so I could clean myself up for the upcoming school day.

My hike to school wasn't all that great this time around. I felt more tired than usual, and to tell the truth; I didn't know why. Well, that's a lie. I had some idea why. And that idea related back to Haruhi Suzumiya.

I admitted something to myself in my head as I walked to school. I was beginning to get disappointed by Haruhi's recent actions towards me over the last few days. The kiss on the cheek had been nice; but the constant mood swings, as well as the nervousness and fear whenever we seemed to get close; were all beginning to drive me crazy

I was used to the more direct Haruhi. The Haruhi who would just grab me by the collar, look me in the eye, and scream whatever she wanted to say in my face. This was a side of her I had never seen before. It was a side of her that she seemed to try and hide away as much as she could. It was intriguing, but at the same time, it was almost depressing.

I walked upstairs to my class slower than usual, having arrived at school with only minutes to spare before the first class period was about to start. This tiredness was really getting to me, but I found my heart skip a beat at the sight of Haruhi when I entered the classroom.

She always contrasted to the many other high school students around her. While they were all busy talking away about their grades, significant others, what they were going to do on the weekend, etc; Haruhi was busy looking out the window. She had always had this sort of natural sense of curiosity and wonder, and I always found that to be something I had secretly admired.

In my tiredness, I still managed to find the energy to turn and face her as I sat down in my usual seat.

"Morning." I said; my voice groggy. The fatigue was still pulling me down.

"Morning, Kyon. You like more tired than usual." Haruhi replied, her attention now away from the window and on me. The stare she was suddenly giving me felt almost uncomfortable.

"Tell me about it."

"Well, don't stay that way. I need you awake if those aliens land anytime soon. You're probably going to end up being our translator, Kyon."

Sure. Because of course I know all sorts of extraterrestrial languages. Well, this dialogue with Haruhi was better than nothing. I'd rather this than her just being bored and not speaking to me at all.

When I heard the bell ring for the start of class, I eyed Suzumiya-san only for another moment, before turning to pay attention. My fatigue had kicked in, and I could already tell that today's school day was going to be excruciatingly long. I groaned, my head falling on my desk as I watched the wall with interest.

Lunch break was more of a salvation than usual, and I figured that this time around, I would head to the club room. Haruhi didn't follow me, but I watched her give me some sort of weird stare as I left the class room. She's been doing that a lot lately, and it makes me wonder what exactly has attracted Haruhi to me. Maybe it would be best if I did not ask…

I yawned as I pushed open the club room door. There was only a single person sitting at the middle table, and otherwise, the room was completely empty. Not even Yuki was in her usual corner; reading a book like she usually would. There was no Mikuru brewing her fantastic tea, so my heart sunk a bit when I realized I would not be able to drink any in hopes it would bring up my spirits.

There was only Itsuki, and his brown hair moved back and forth as a slight breeze came through the open window. He had a smile on his face as I walked inside the club room. Something told me that whatever he was going to inform me of, it would certainly not be something to smile about. I had the urge to groan, but my fatigue stopped me from doing so. I didn't even have the energy to complain at this point.

"Kyon." He said to me, turning to face me. His eyes seemed to sparkle all of a sudden, as if he was hiding something. I didn't like it, but I sat down across from his as usual.

"Ituski." I said, yawning again. This fatigue was a damn bother.

"I assume you have something to tell me then." I asked Istuki, and he seemed not at all surprised I had asked him this so quickly.

"Yes. It involves Suzumiya-san, as you might have guessed."

"Of course. You've been telling me this for awhile now." I said, leaning back in my chair. I was kind of getting annoyed of hearing this same thing over and over again, even thought most of it was always important regarding the well-being of the world.

"Something is about to happen, Kyon. My colleagues and I have witnessed absolutely no instances of closed space for days. It is a very strange phenomenon, and I am beginning to get worried." Itsuki said, his voice suddenly becoming serious as he narrowed his eyes. He glared at me in the way Haruhi might glare at me. It was a little uncomfortable.

"What's to be worried about? Doesn't that mean Haruhi is content?" I replied, and Itsuki calmly stood up straight in his chair. He brushed his hair away from his eyes as he spoke.

"One might think so. But I've seen Suzumiya-san, and I'm beginning to think that she is not content. Closed space seems to only appear when her emotions become unstable, but only to a minor degree. When that threshold is past, their instances become much lower, to the point where they stop appearing whatsoever. But we have discovered that this does not signify she is content; however. This signifies that something in what we know as reality is about to reach a breaking point. As we speak, the universe, if not more, is at risk." Itsuki explained; his expression or voice tone not changing once as he spoke.

"What do you mean more?" I said, suddenly becoming curious. Now I was kind of wondering what exactly Itsuki was alluding to.

"It's quite classified, but I will tell you this. Based on information we have received from Yuki's Integrated Data Entity, as well as Asahina's superiors, the Agency has concluded that we are not the only existing universe. They have discovered the existence of many more, but I cannot disclose anything further."

I sighed. This information was a lot to take at once, even though I should be used to hearing these kinds of things. Still, now I was told that Haruhi wasn't only endangering us, but people in far-off universes as well. In my opinion, this all sounded like some science-fiction novel. It sounded like one that I probably wouldn't read.

"Just be careful. Suzumiya-san could make a drastic decision regarding this universe at any moment. We need to keep her calm." Itsuki said, standing up as a prompt to tell me this conversation had ended. I took his imitative, walking out as he held the door for me. I was wondering if he was watching me leave, and that thought left me with chills. For as much as I considered him a friend, his demeanor around me could be very creepy sometimes.

Maybe he's…one of those guys. The one's who like being around other guys a little too much. I gulped at the thought. I really hoped not…

The school day ended up going faster than expected after Itsuki and I had our brief exchange. My mind suddenly glossed over the topic he had only slightly mentioned. I found myself thinking about the possibility of alternate universes, and the many people or things that could possibly exist in them. It was an interesting thing to think about; interesting enough in that it kept me from paying attention. I wondered what someone from another universe might look like. Maybe like us; maybe not. I have a feeling I'll never know, unless Haruhi decides to make it so. And I certainly wasn't wishing that.

The power of habit is strong, and it always causes me to robotically head to the clubroom after school. It has become a sort of home to me; as it has become the place where I have found myself thinking the most, and feeling the most comfortable in. Well, that's if you discount the many times Haruhi has decided to undress herself or forcibly undress Mikuru. Then things don't become so comfortable.

The fatigue had begun to wear off, and I found myself partially smiling as I opened the door to the club room. It seemed that I was in for a hell of a time today.

Because the only occupant who was in the room was none other than Haruhi Suzumiya. She was sitting on the middle table, her arms crossed as she watched me enter. She was glaring at me, and I slowly closed the door behind me as I put my bag down.

"So…where are the others?" I said, looking around to see if I could even spot Yuki Nagato in her regular corner. But she wasn't there either.

"I told them to go home early today. I have something important to take care of. And you're a part of it, Kyon." She said to me, standing up and pointing an accusing finger at my face. I stared at her finger, suddenly wondering why she sounded angry.

"What's this about?"

Haruhi looked ready to shout something at me, but she stopped herself. She seemed at a loss for words. She seemed nervous. I saw the tell tale blush begin to appear on her cheeks. This was not something I expected.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Never mind." she said to me, sounding angry as she turned around and crossed her arms.

She didn't want to talk to me all of a sudden? Why the hell was I here in the first place then?

"What's with you? One minute you're all pushy to be close and everything, and the next, you're mad at me. What the hell did I do this time?" I asked, and Haruhi seemed to flip around with the speed of a top. I could tell she had a lot to say.

"You….you wouldn't understand. It's not something I want to talk about anyway…  
" Haruhi told me, and she suddenly had newfound interest staring at her shoes. This was quite interesting to watch; to say the least. Haruhi was not only showing embarrassment, but I could see hints of fear and shyness in her face. She was trying her best to cover them with the coldness she was used to showing, but she seemed to be having trouble doing so. It wasn't hard to tell that she was having trouble admitting something. Something I already had full knowledge about.

"What are you so afraid of telling me?" I said, giving her a grin I would never usually make. She stared back at me, looking insulting by the fact I was actually the one pushing her now. I was interested in seeing how this might work the other way around. I was not used to this shy Haruhi, and believe it or not; this was beginning to become fun.

"It's stupid, is what it is! These things aren't supposed to happen! These feelings are getting in the way of my focus on the SOS Brigade!" she shouted back at me, her eyes straining as she spoke. She noticed what words had come out of her own mouth, but Haruhi didn't care, glaring elsewhere besides at me. She was certainly having a hard time with this.

"And what feelings might these be?" I asked, this time without the grin. I began to sound more like my usual self again, hoping that this might get Suzumiya-san to say something she wouldn't usually say if she perceived me as acting stupid.

"Well…." Haruhi began, her arms still crossed as she thought of what to say. I could sense she was really fighting inside. Itsuki had told me we specifically needed to avoid this, but I had suddenly forgotten his warning. This had become almost like a challenge to get Haruhi to spit it out.

"I guess I think you're not all that bad, Kyon." She said to me; her voice low as she pouted. This was among the single funniest thing that had happened to me all these last few weeks. I almost couldn't stop myself from laughing. The fact that I was getting something like this out of Haruhi Suzumiya, well…it was just plain amusing.

"What was that?" I said, pretending not to hear as I put my hand up against my ear. Suzumiya-san looked at me like I was torturing her. In a way, I kind of was. But this was sort of my way for paying her back. It was my way of getting back at her for all the things she's done to me. But hey; it could always be so much worse.

"You're kind of cute, I guess…." Haruhi added, almost whispering at this point. She turned away before I could even see her blush, but I knew that she was probably hiding her red face from my view. This was beyond great.

I couldn't help but put a hand on Haruhi's shoulder. She didn't shrug it away, instead turning around; her eyes refusing to look at mine at all. I don't think there's a girl out there who could play this hard to get. And the fact that Suzumiya-san was the one who had fallen for me first made it only more extreme.

"Are you saying that as Brigade Chief?"

"No, I'm not. And stop looking at me like that! Don't try anything funny, Kyon."

This only amused me more. If anyone was being pushy, it was definitely Haruhi. At least, she had been for the last few days. Now that I was actually fulfilling whatever secret wish she had, she was trying her best to resist.

Oh, how I wish I could record this!

"Ha. Like I would waste my time." I said with fake sarcasm; doing so purposely, just to get the reaction from Suzumiya-san that I wanted.

"What's that's supposed to mean?" she asked, putting her hands on her sides as he face came suddenly close to mine. I was suddenly caught up in her beauty again, even as she tried to look as angry and resentful as she possibly could.

"I can't get enough of those eyes of yours. Even when you try to act mad at me." I told Haruhi, with no regret in my voice. She could not stop herself from blushing, and I could already feel her presence moving closer to me. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she let her face drift towards mine. I was only surprised at this sudden change in her mindset, but I waited. This was the moment I was finally waiting for.

But as Suzumiya-san's lips were just about to touch mine, her eyes snapped open like they were being held shut by tight rubber bands. I could see something that looked like a mixture or rage, confusion and perhaps even longing. She turned from me.

"You haven't made up your mind, have you?" I said to her, still a little confused by all this.

"You don't understand! This isn't supposed to happen!" Haruhi shouted back at me, slamming her fist angrily on the table. I was beginning to regret what I had just said. Her anger level was rising.

"I don't want this! I don't want to feel this way!"

Haruhi looked as if she was ripping her hair out. A rumble could be felt underneath me. The whole school was beginning to suddenly shake uncontrollably, and I backed away. The situation had begun taking a turn for the worse. And this time; it was all my fault.

"Haruhi! Calm down!" I said as the rumbling got louder, but Suzumiya-san ignored my pleas. Her eyes were closed shut, and she seemed like she was struggling to keep her anger in check, but obviously failing. Haruhi's eyes snapped opened once again, and she stared back at me, tears suddenly welling up in those amber orbs. It felt like a massive earthquake was shaking all of North High.

"No! I can't take it anymore!" she said, turning from me as her anger only grew. The rumbling became unbearable, and I fell backwards, struggling to get back on my feet. I was waiting for the ground to just simply split apart at this point.

Finally, Haruhi gave me one last look. It was one of sadness and hurt. I could not help but feel sorry for her. Whatever she was feeling; it must have been deeply affecting her psyche for quite awhile. Haruhi slammed her fist down on the table with enough force to almost break it. I swear I heard a loud snap.

"I can't take being in love with you, Kyon!"

At the precise moment in which Haruhi said those words, everything in front of me suddenly erupted in white light. I shielded my eyes, but the flash seemed to just shine right through my arm. Haruhi had already been fully covered by all of this, and it didn't take long before my vision was gone.

I fell backwards, my head spinning. Everything was suddenly white; and all I could hear was the last echoes of Suzumiya-san's voice before I felt myself drift into unconsciousness. I'm a real moron sometimes…

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**This would be a terrible place to leave an unfinished story, but fortunately, I'm not mean like that. The next chapter will be up soon enough. Stay tuned, readers!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, here's the next chapter everyone! I'm so glad so many are enjoying my story. I honestly didn't believe it would get this popular. Plus, I couldn't keep you guys waiting long on an update. Enjoy!**

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What did I do wrong? In one moment, the world had been fine. Everything was calm, content and not at all subject to any kind of destruction or chaos. But, I had to tease its God just a little bit. I had to poke Haruhi in the wrong place just a few times too many.

And I have paid the price. A price I'm not so completely aware of yet. Right now, I can't see much. I only hear my own thoughts, as everything and anything is as black as a moonlit night. I had heard the Haruhi's voice before. She sounded angry, resentful and saddened. I shouldn't have aggravated her like I did. Even though I believed it was some form of payback, I did not realize my actions were stupid until too late.

Am I dead? I can only think as of yet; so that very well may be a possibility.

And while I'm thinking, I should ask myself a question that continues to come into my head.

Do I love Haruhi Suzumiya?

Yes. That is definitive at this point. I know that I can't stop enjoying her company. Those eyes of her's, that smile she wears half the time, and secretly; that ponytail she would have from time to time.

And even then, her personality has drawn me in. Ironically, it was the girl who bosses me around I'd fallen for. The same girl who might spend most days after school commanding me to do tasks for her; all for the sake of the SOS Brigade. If I had been truly reasonable, I would have left the Brigade before I got too into it. Even the threat of Haruhi tracking me down wouldn't scare me as much as it might now.

But I don't have to worry about that fact anymore. For all I know; I'm dead.

Or perhaps not just yet.

I wake up suddenly. My head is spinning, and I can feel my eyes slowly open. I groan, standing up as I can begin to see what is in front of me.

White. Nothing but white, white and more white. I feel like I'm staring at a clean sheet of paper.

What the? Where the hell am I?

My hand reaches forward, attempting to see if there really is some sort of sheet of paper in front of me. But the limb grabs nothing, continuing into the whiteness as if it is thin air.

I look from side to side. Still more white. I look up. More white. I look down at my feet. I'm standing on this whiteness. I can't help but raise an eyebrow. Where the hell did I suddenly end up?

Somehow, I am inside some huge, white void. There is not a single detail, nor a single sound. I am not joking when I say that I can see absolutely nothing of interest in front of me, behind me, below me, above me, or anywhere around me at all. Only this blank white.

I check myself quickly. My clothes are still on at least. I doubt it really matters though.

As if by pure instinct, my thoughts race back to the person who is probably responsible for my current predicament; Haruhi. It is mostly my fault for making her mad, but that in turn led her to probably end up wishing me away from the universe. From what I could see, her emotions for me seemed too much for her to bear. Haruhi would rather just not have to ever deal with me than to actually love me, it seems.

And so this will be my life? Forced to walk this void until I starve? Or maybe Suzumiya-san will be merciful, and at least grant me the sanctity of some sort of home and food to last me until age wears me down. I can already tell this white void is obviously not closed space. There is no grayness to it, nor any city to constitute it being connected to the real world. And I don't see any destructive blue giants at all.

If this is not closed space; then where the hell am I?

I had no choice but to explore.

Well, I find it hard to explore something that resembles an empty void. Surprisingly, the ground seems solid under my feet; though each of my steps are careful and precise anyway.

Could this be one of those parallel universes that Itsuki was alluding to? Am I in some sort of alternate reality where there is nothing? Or maybe something will spontaneously appear if I think it, like in a science fiction novel. For a moment, I commit a ridiculous act; straining my thoughts, attempting to create a house in front of me.

I open my eyes, and the white is still before me. Damn.

Why did Suzumiya-san choose a place like this? A void of eternal emptiness and quiet sounds like a punishment worse than death to me. If she loved me like she screamed at me; why would she send me to such a place? I could not understand Haruhi's intentions, even though I should be used to this kind of thing already.

"Hello!" I yell into the whiteness. My voice can be heard, but there is no echo. It's as if there is no actual distance for my voice to travel on. Or perhaps air is not present here.

Then why the hell am I breathing? None of this makes any sense!

As I continue walking, I hear something faint in my ear. It sounds like a small, slightly audible voice, and it is slowly gaining volume as I continue to walk along. Suddenly, the voice begins to get louder. It sounds incomprehensible, and things become worse when another voice joins the mix. Soon; a thousand voices are speaking at once, and I'm on my knees, my hands trying their best to cover my ears. In my utter annoyance and pain, I still manage to recognize every voice to be the voice of Suzumiya-san. It sounds like Haruhi multiplied herself, than decided to hold a huge sci-fi convention. The talking seems unbearable, but another few seconds pass by, and the voices suddenly come to an abrupt stop. I take my hands away from my ears; astounded.

What was that? What is this place?

As I get off my knees, I watch something begin to approach in the distance. This may sound crazy; but it almost looked like a group of television screens were floating in mid-air as they all sped towards me. I saw them coming as fast as cars, especially since there wasn't much as else to see in this void besides white.

I ducked, fearing for my life. As I opened one eye, looking up from my protective position, I see the screens have stopped in front of me.

And they are not television screens. They are suspended, moving images that seem to just emerge from the whiteness of this void. And they all show the same person.

Suzumiya-san in present in each image, and I can't help but become curious by the many scenes she is being depicted in. The images seem to almost look as if they are playing recordings, but the viewpoints involved look impossible to capture on camera.

On one screen, I watch as a young girl sits on a swing set; looking up into a starry night sky. She has the same, chestnut hair that Haruhi has, along with the same amber eyes. I could only assume that this was her younger self. She had told me only so much of her childhood, and what she told me gave me some insight of why she had begun to search the world for the extraordinary and bizarre.

Another screen shows a different image. This one is of Haruhi, but pointing an imposing finger at none other than me. This was probably sometime in the recent past. Even though it's embarrassing, I can't help but laugh at the expression on my face.

The many images seem to shift and change easily, and one that I saw before could easily have changed to another. One screen shows Suzumiya-san walking home by herself, the moon full behind her as she took slow steps along the sidewalk. Another was of her pulling me along from my collar, the glint in her eyes as she intended to extort my assistance in starting the SOS Brigade.

I will admit that there were some images I found….out of place. For example, I couldn't help but observe one of Haruhi in her room. She was looking at herself in the mirror for a few seconds, before deciding to disrobe and grab a nearby towel from her closet. I turned my head quickly, trying my best to resist the teenage urge to stare. I clocked myself at about four seconds before my face was right up in front of the screen. It is hard to control oneself sometimes.

Now, I looked to see another image in front of me. This took my attention away from the one of Haruhi about to bathe, which was somewhat good. It was of Haruhi and me, and what really was surprising me; was that Haruhi and I were doing something I never imagined us doing in a million years.

Haruhi had her lips passionately locked on mine, and she was kissing me like I was some sort of hot-blooded lover of hers. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Of course, a scene like this wouldn't be so bad now. Now that I could admit how I feel for Suzumiya-san, I would certainly not mind something like this, to say the least.

But this still had not happened yet. I could only stare even more as I watched what I was doing in the image. I felt a red warmth creep up on my own cheeks. The places where my hands were going were embarrassing me more than I can say. This was highly out of place.

I turned from the image, not content with watching it any longer. Was this some sort of future? Were these precognitive predictions that were going to happen? These questions raced back and forth inside my mind, screaming for some sort of answer. Koizumi would have been good at explaining something like this, but he was not present, so that solution would be nearly impossible. This was not closed space whatsoever. I had no idea what this was.

I turned again, this time seeing something that had only recently happened. It showed Suzumiya-san facing me, tears in her eyes. The moment came where she had screamed out a statement to me, before slamming her fist down on a table, causing everything to become enveloped in white light.

The same white light that probably caused me to wake up in this void of white emptiness.

But if this happened already; why was it being shown to me? Where the hell did I exactly go?

I pondered for a moment. Was I in Haruhi's mind? Perhaps these images are her mental thoughts. I gulped. Those images of us together; perhaps they were some sort of secret, locked away fantasies of a teenage girl. I wasn't so much surprised that Suzumiya-san could be capable of thinking in that way so easily. It's not like I was completely innocent of that crime, but Suzumiya-san's mind seemed to describe the encounter between me and her quite perfectly. And yes; I only noticed this because I couldn't help but stare again.

Another image caught my attention. It looked like a much older Haruhi, and she was dressed in an elegant, white dress. She looked beautiful beyond any words. Besides her, I stood; older as well, and clad in a tuxedo. We were both holding hands.

Some sort of future between us? I never imagined something like this to happen. To be married to Suzumiya-san…that would certainly be something. I can imagine she would boss me around about everything.

And of course; I mean everything. My mind had already involuntarily gone down that specific road as the possibilities emerged in my thoughts.

As I searched for more images, I heard a sound in the distance at first. It sounded like Suzumiya-san's voice, but it was faint. I couldn't understand what she might be saying, or if she was really even there at all.

When I turned back to face the images; they had suddenly disappeared. Only the white void remained, and I found myself searching for them. What? They were offering me possible insight into Suzumiya-san's mind, and they had to just go away?

Damn it! That was information I'll never get the chance to see again!

I sighed. Even in an empty void, nothing ever seems to go my way. How I wished for Itsuki, Yuki or Mikuru right now. Any one of them might have some sort of explanation for why I was here, and I had some purpose to being here. If I was really unlucky, Suzumiya-san might have already destroyed the universe already. Along with any of the many other universes that Koizumi had mentioned before. Where the hell did he and his Agency get all of this information?

Knowing these questions had no answers, I decided to continue walking. Perhaps the whiteness would end eventually. Or perhaps not. Maybe I'll just keep walking forever. That might be a pretty boring existence, if you ask me.

But would I be experiencing such things as this if Haruhi Suzumiya had not entered my life?

No. I would still lead an uninteresting existence, taking my daily hike to school every day, associating with Taniguchi and Kunikida. Normal things that I was used to.

But Haruhi brought something I wasn't so used to. Change.

She changed everything. My beliefs, my mindset, and even some of my voice of reason. She brought a world full of time travelers, espers and aliens with her; even though she had no knowledge of any of it. I got stuck in a club with a beautiful, bossy girl; a shy, sweet time traveler; a constantly smiling esper; and a silent, emotionless book-obsessed alien.

But there was a question I've yet to ask myself. If Haruhi is a God, how do I know I myself am not a product of her creation?

I must be then. It seems we all are.

But if the world was only created three years ago, as Itsuki suggests, then why do my memories still go back farther? Will I ever get the answer to such questions that continue to challenge my thoughts? In this life; I doubt it.

And yet, I am still attracted to Suzumiya-san. I am attracted to her personality, her looks, and everything about her. While I may complain about the things she does, the way she acts; part of me still can't help but stand beside her. I stay a voice of reason, always contradicting what she is going to say, always attempting to stop what crazy idea she is going to enact next; but at the same time, I remain her trigger.

Perhaps she enjoys me challenging her. I still don't know what exactly made her fall for me. When Itsuki, Mikuru and Yuki tell me I've been "chosen" by her, I usually was confused by what they meant. Maybe this is what it has to do with. Maybe because she probably cares about me the most out of everyone. Perhaps her bossiness, eccentricity, over-optimism, extortion, disregard of privacy, and order-giving are just her way of showing love and affection. Strange to think of it that way, but in Suzumiya-san's case; it's probably true.

It's flattering, to say the least.

Finally, I hear something that makes me turn faster than one of those gravity space ship rides you see at cheap amusement parks. It was a voice.

"Kyon!"

Upon turning, I see none other than Haruhi standing behind me. Her eyes are serious, and she has her hands at her hips. Her face is really, really close to mine. I can feel her breath as she speaks.

"This is that kind of dream again, isn't it? Alright then, Kyon. Just don't be too rough this time around! As Brigade Chief, I order you to satisfy your leader's desires, but to do so with finesse!" she said to me, her voice plainly serious as she stared into my eyes. I think my face was so red it looked like it might turn into a large tomato.

"Haruhi….this…isn't a dream…." I choked out, my voice shaking as the words left my mouth. Upon hearing me, her face suddenly became tinged pink faster than I could even say anything. She covered her face in her hands, obviously embarrassed beyond belief. I was a little speechless myself.

"Where are we, Kyon?" she said in a muffled, confused voice, refusing to leave the safety of her hands and look up at me.

To tell the truth, I had some idea. Of course, I couldn't tell Haruhi the actual truth. I'm not risking getting sent somewhere else because she could get agitated.

"I have absolutely no idea." I said, as sincerely and as truthfully as I could make myself sound. I admit still was blushing a bit from what Haruhi had said. She must have some crazy dreams…


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, I updated again! With this much reception, I couldn't help it! Enjoy, readers!**

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This is certainly a situation I would not expect to occur again.

Me and Haruhi Suzumiya; alone in some empty, quiet place. Only this time, she doesn't seem happy about it, and the place we are both in isn't so much a place at all. It's more like being inside a giant box of plain white paper, except that it goes on forever and ever, and there are no shadows whatsoever.

I've wondered how I get myself into these situations. I have concluded that it's a combination of bad luck, stupidity on my part, or a very bad twist of fate. Of course, there's always what I call the "Haruhi factor", which ends up being the source of my problems most of the time.

So now, I am awkwardly standing in front of Haruhi; who's on the ground, her hands covering her face. I can imagine she's blushing, considering what she just said to me. I couldn't help but do the same, even though I tried my best to hide it. Nevertheless, I couldn't keep up all this silence for long.

"Well….maybe we should figure out a way out of here." I said, but Haruhi still wouldn't retreat her face away from her palms. God; she must really be embarrassed this time.

"Who says here is even here? We aren't even anywhere. There's just all this white stuff…" Haruhi replied; her voice slightly muffled. I sighed; annoyed by Haruhi's sudden humiliation. Especially when the situation required that we should probably work together to get out of this place.

But what was this place? Could it be the depths of Suzumiya-san's mind? If so; then it was by Haruhi's accord whether we left or not.

Which means I was stuck here until she got into a better mood and decided to kick me out of her head. And the worst part was; there was no Itsuki, Koizumi or Yuki to help me at all. No long-winded explanations, smiling faces, or autonomous monologues to explain what was going on with Suzumiya-san.

I was on my own this time.

"Maybe this is all a dream. Maybe we'll all just wake up soon." I mentioned; mostly lying. Haruhi finally found the courage to look up at me; standing as she glared into my eyes.

"I don't think so. For all we know; we're in some parallel empty dimension where we'll stay for the rest of our lives." She said to me, quite serious. I didn't have much to say to that, because it sounded like Haruhi wouldn't be convinced by any sort of reasonable explanation.

"Your face is kind of close."

"I don't care. Just shut up and do it already." Haruhi said to me, as if issuing a command. I raised an eyebrow, not getting whatever hint she was throwing at me. I can be a little oblivious about certain things from time to time.

"What?"

"Are you really that stupid, Kyon? Never mind. Let's go see if there's an end to all this." Haruhi replied, grabbing me firmly by the hand, and then forcibly pulling me along as we walked farther into the whiteness.

This seemed a little useless in my opinion. We were walking into nothing, out of nothing, and going towards more nothing. It all sounded redundant and pointless, but Haruhi refused to listen to common sense; and so I remained being pulled along like a plow.

The whiteness did not change at all, no matter how far we walked. We might not even be moving at all, come to think of it. The only thing I could discern about this place was that it certainly wasn't part of the universe as we know it. It was either that, or perhaps this place really was Suzumiya-san's thoughts. Being the God she is; her mind may very well work much differently than that of any average or normal human. So this blank space might be filled with various things if Haruhi is actually thinking. Like a white canvas waiting to be painted with random thoughts.

"Nothing's changed." I said to Haruhi, who almost seemed to refuse to listen to me as we continued walking. We had been doing this for quite awhile, and the result of our walking continued to be the same. More and more white.

Finally, Haruhi stopped. She had her back to me; obviously crossing her arms in displeasure. I didn't really know what to say. It was an interesting situation to be alone with Haruhi in this white world; to say the least.

"Well…I never knew you actually liked me that much…" I began to say; remembering what Haruhi had finally admitted before inadvertently transporting us here.

Suzumiya-san turned; a very serious look on her face. I gulped for a moment; hoping what I had said would not make her mad. If she could put me somewhere like here; I'd rather not ask where I could end up next.

"That was…." She began, tripping over her words. Haruhi was at a loss of something to say for once, and it might have been something to smile over before. But I saw what happened when I let myself tease her, and I acted calm and almost melancholic as usual.

"Nothing?" I asked, curious about her answer. If there was one thing of being here; it was that Haruhi now had no escape from answering that question. Perhaps this was not such a bad situation at all.

"It was true. I have no control over this stupid physical body! It's not my fault I ended up falling for a cute boy. But it's just going to end up getting in the way of my plans for the SOS Brigade!" Haruhi exclaimed, nearly shouting in my face as she forcefully grabbed me by the tie.

The way she admits things like this are very different than what most girls do.

Very, very different.

"I didn't even know I was cute to you." I said, making an almost insignificant smile. I don't know why it was amusing to poke fun at Haruhi like this, but either way; it was quite fun.

Suzumiya-san's expression changed to embarrassment once again, and she let go of my tie, trying to hide the red that had already crept up on her face. If there was anyone who had fast mood changes; it was definitely Haruhi.

"Well….that's how it is, Kyon. Live with it; because it's not changing anytime soon!" Haruhi replied, her voice making that statement sound like it was almost a sort of a threat. I couldn't help but almost laugh at this. With things like this, Haruhi notices almost immediately.

"What's so funny? This isn't a joke!"

"Nothing. It's just the way you react about things like this. For a high and mighty Brigade Chief; you sure act more like a shy school girl. And that's a fact." I answered, letting my voice flow with honesty. I certainly wasn't joking about what I said.

"Hey! Don't compare me to all the normal humans! They're all just like the rest of the people all this planet. They take orders like everyone else." She replied, crossing her arms at me again.

"But somehow you have the right to boss everyone else around? I think you're sounding a little hypocritical, if you ask me." I replied, my voice more calm and reasonable as I spoke.

"Hey! I'm the Brigade Chief! It's my job to boss around underlings. Otherwise, they're would be anarchy in the Brigade, and nothing would ever get done."

Like we ever really do anything in the first place. Unless you count forcefully dressing up Mikuru-chan, signaling for imaginary aliens, harassing people, and passing out flyers in skimpy bunny outfits. If you counted stuff like that, then we'd surely win the "Most Active Club of the Year" award. Of course; all those comments just stayed in my head this time around. I already learned what happens when you end up being a smart mouth to Haruhi.

"You're a pervert, Kyon."

"What?" I said; suddenly snapping out of my train of thought. I was confused now, wondering why Haruhi suddenly had the urge to say something like that to me. I couldn't help but scratch the back of my head, suddenly embarrassed about something I supposedly didn't actually do.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" I said nervously, but Haruhi wasn't convinced for one second; putting her hands on her hips and glaring at me once again.

"I know what you're thinking about. You've got your head in places it shouldn't be. Just because this is all a dream doesn't mean you're going to get your way with me." Suzumiya-san announced to me, as if stating an order.

"What? You're crazy. It's not like that at all…." I began to say, but Haruhi responded angrily, grabbing me by the back of the head and pulling me closer, pointing an accusing finger in my face.

"Who is it then!?! Is it Mikuru-chan? What does she have that I don't?" she exclaimed, her stare like a poisonous snake biting into my soul. I had no real response; feeling awkward at this sudden closeness.

"I never said anything about that…" I attempted to argue, but as always, that never usually works with Haruhi. In a swift fashion, I felt my head being forcefully pushed forward; into a soft place that I never expected it to go. Like I said time and time again; Haruhi is a very strange and bizarre girl.

"It's because she's got bigger ones than I do, isn't it?!? You think I can't compete with that!" Suzumiya-san screamed in my ear, all while pushing my head into her chest over and over again. In any normal situation, I would have been more than happy, but this was being done against my will; so it was a different story. I just felt myself being controlled, and although it wasn't so bad; it was very awkward.

Finally, Haruhi stopped, and I regained my composure, though slightly shaken. I did not even expect something like that from Suzumiya-san.

"What was that for?" I asked, still confused by the forceful measures Haruhi had taken.

"It was for thinking about someone else besides me! And if you try any of that in the real world; I'll shove your head into a computer screen!" Haruhi said threateningly, and pointing an accusing finger at me again. I sighed; slightly in wonder at how Haruhi still believed all of this to be a dream.

"Haven't you taken the time to realize this isn't probably a dream?" I said to her, my voice sounding annoyed. Suzumiya-san could be very oblivious from time to time, and it could get real aggravating to listen to.

"What other explanation is there then, Kyon? I see nothing else besides this being dreamland. I see nothing else to do but to just satisfy you like I usually do. There's no sense in wasting time while we're here." Suzumiya-san began, and her hands began to reach for the bottom of her shirt. My melancholic expression changed to one of complete and utter surprise.

"Hold on a second! That's not what I want!" I said in protest, waving my hands back and forth in a foul play fashion. Haruhi stopped, looking at me in slight confusion.

"What? You're not into girls or something?"

"Well…I never said that…that's not the point!" I exclaimed back, almost to the point where I felt like ripping all my hair out. Haruhi's constant change in mood was beginning to frustrate me.

"What's your answer then, Kyon? Either you do; or you don't."

"Gah…I do." I answered haphazardly; severely wanting a change of subject.

"Then why are you avoiding it? All boys your age should want something like this. It happens all the time in their dreams. I remember reading something about it the other day…." Haruhi began, and I could already sense she was heading for a long-winded explanation I probably already heard.

"THIS ISN'T A DREAM!!!" I shouted, silencing her. Haruhi looked at me like I'd killed someone. I calmed down after saying that, finally comforted by the fact she'd shut up. Suzumiya-san had her hands on her hips again, her hair bouncing as she glared at me again; a frown on her near-perfect face.

"Then where are we, Kyon? Because if you don't give me a good explanation; then I'm going to have my way with you whether you like it or not." Haruhi asked, and I could easily tell that last part was meant to be a threat. And she sounded very serious, even though most men would probably give her some garbage that this was really some sort of dream.

I sighed. It seemed that for once, I had no choice but to do the one thing I wasn't supposed to do. I was readying myself. I was about to tell Haruhi that she was really the God of the entire known universe, if not the God of all other existing universes as well.

"Haruhi….you're a lot more different than you think." I began, finding it hard to say the words I wanted to say. Why don't you try explaining someone that they have cosmic power beyond their control? Then you can come back and tell me how easy it is.

"I'm going to get to the point. You're God, Haruhi."

"What are you talking about, Kyon?" Suzumiya-san asked; her voice anxious and impatient. I could tell she already didn't believe me.

"Exactly what I meant. You're God. You've got power that you can't even understand. You essentially are the reason why we all exist." I stated, but Suzumiya-san still looked very confused. I would imagine even for such a girl as her; it might be hard to absorb information like that all at once.

"You're lying. This is just a way of getting out of the inevitable…" Haruhi replied, already reaching to get her shirt off. The expression on my face turned to immediate shock, but Haruhi took little notice, pointing directly at my pants.

"You might as well get those off now. Otherwise; I'll rip them off!"

"Wait!" I said, desperate to make her believe me. I wasn't ready to be forced into something like this just yet; even though part of my teenage mind was screaming in protest at my reasoning.

Haruhi stopped again, crossing her arms and tapping her foot in annoyance. I commended the fact she was giving me one last chance.

"Look….just think of some place. Your house; my house; the clubroom. Wherever you want. If you think of it hard enough, then it will pop up in all this whiteness." I told her, seriousness apparent in my voice. Suzumiya-san didn't want to be convinced, still glaring at me.

Damn. I never imagined her liking me that much. I have trouble believing she believes all this to be some sort of teenage fantasy waiting to happen.

"I don't believe you, Kyon."

"Just do it!" I cried out, already reaching my aggravation limit with her stubbornness.

Luckily, Suzumiya-san decided to oblige this time, closing her eyes. She strained to keep them shut, and from a distance she looked deep in thought. I watched her for a few seconds, and I must admit I found it a little cute to watch her focusing this much. After a few more seconds, a large expanse appeared behind her. I was surprised; because I almost didn't think what I told her would work.

Haruhi turned around, seeing that the very same patch of land that sit beneath the starry sky right in front of her. It almost seemed like it was painted onto the white like a piece of artwork, but Haruhi proved that fact otherwise when she took a step onto the grass. I was quite amazed myself.

"This can't be real…" she said in wonder, staring up at the night sky that had just appeared in all this whiteness.

"I told you."

"Shut up, Kyon." She said angrily, not even turning to face me. I'd probably expect Suzumiya-san to be mad at the fact she was severely wrong. I was in wonder; pondering my next course of action. I was still trying to figure out how to get out of here as well. But, there was one thing left to do.

"Stop trying to hide your feelings. It doesn't work at this point." I said behind Suzumiya-san. She turned to face me now, a surprised reaction now pasted on her face. I took no notice to this, walking towards her, until I was on the same patch of grass that she was on. The stars shined brightly in the white-surrounded sky. I couldn't help but almost smile.

"Your face is really close again." I told Haruhi, but she didn't back away like I thought she would. She was staring at my face; like she was in some sort of hypnotic trance. I was about to say something, when I saw her turn her head and cross her arms again. The fake anger returned.

I had no idea when I would leave this infernal place. I wanted out. I remembered how I had managed to get Haruhi back to the really world last time. But last time involved closed space. This time….I didn't even know where I was.

Nevertheless, I needed to do this.

"Haruhi…."I began, putting a hand on her shoulder. She noticed it immediately, but refused to uncross her arms. I sighed. Here we go.

"There's something I want to tell you. Something extremely important."

"Get on with it already. End the suffering. Tell me you hate me and I can get on with life." Suzumiya-san replied; shocking me a little bit with that last phrase.

Still, I couldn't help but reminisce before I could say what I wanted to say.

Over the last year, I had a lot of experiences involving Haruhi Suzumiya. I got involved with time travelers, espers and aliens. I ended up saving the world at one point. These things were all because of her and her god-like whims. She never knew any of this, and probably didn't believe it; judging from her reaction to the discovery I pointed out before.

But what was Haruhi to me?

I asked this question to myself before. She wasn't just a girl. She wasn't just a bossy club leader, or a eccentric high school teenager. She wasn't a bunny girl or a detective either. And when it comes down to it, she wasn't that much of a God.

No; Haruhi Suzumiya was something far greater to me than anything I could ever think of. She was the key to my life. The one thing that had brought me out of my own, self-induced melancholy. The change that I had needed ever since I believed in a reasonable universe.

Because the truth is; nothing is reasonable. There is only the strange and the unusual that came with Haruhi. And somewhere along the line; I fell for it all.

I made my biggest sigh to date, looking deep into Haruhi's amber eyes.

"Haruhi….I can't believe I'm saying this….but…" I stopped at the end, the words struggling to come out. This was hard.

"TELL ME!" she screamed in my face, shaking me all of a sudden.

"I love you!" I shouted back to her. It seemed my entire body relaxed with those words.

But Haruhi's did not. At the sound of those three simple words; Suzumiya-san stopped processing. She didn't blink, and I could see her holding her breath. She was silent. I could see her staring into my eyes now; as if they were the most intricate, interesting things she had ever seen. And then, she did the one thing I was waiting for since our date last Saturday. The one thing that Taniguchi and Kunikida ruined.

It was a much unexpected kiss. I didn't get much time to react before Haruhi pushed herself right towards me. We locked lips quicker than I could even realize. I don't know if this was her way of getting it all out. Frankly, I didn't care.

It was only me and Suzumiya-san now. I closed my eyes, fully absorbing the feeling of her kissing me. I couldn't see the expression on her face at all, but I don't think it really mattered either way. Haruhi's lips tasted like nothing I could truly describe, but they were perfect nevertheless. I couldn't believe this was happening, and I couldn't believe I was a part of it. Only a year ago, I might have wished this person kissing me to be Mikuru-chan.

But now; this was certainly the greatest moment in my life. I wanted it to last forever.

But things never go your way for as long as you want them to.

The burst of energy came almost instantly. I didn't even feel the blinding. I only felt being finally parted from Suzumiya-san's lips.

I bolted upwards in my bed. I was sweating profusely. I didn't know where the hell I even was. I looked around.

I was in my room. It was night. I was back in the real world once again, having woken up from a crazy dream. And that was a dream I never wanted to wake up from.

Damn it! Damn it all!

Was that all a dream? If it was, it was certainly more realistic than I could imagine. And it certainly ended at a time that I did not want or expect. Where had I truly gone?

I'll probably never know. The only thing I could think of now was Haruhi. I was anxious to see Suzumiya-san now. More anxious than I have ever been about anything

To just see her face again would do wonders for me. I thought about if she had possibly dreamt a similar dream. If so; I was in for a lot tomorrow; when I saw her.

Had I averted universal destruction yet again? Perhaps. Now there was only one thing left.

Tomorrow; I would find out what all this really was. My questions will be answered, be it by Itsuki, Mikuru, Yuki, Haruhi or even myself. This was more of an assumption than a fact; but I think I can safely assume some sort of explanation tomorrow.

But one thing is certain. I am more than in love with Haruhi Suzumiya now.

I realize she's become a permanent part of my life. An integral part that I can never get rid of; replace, or lose. A part that makes everything in my once melancholic life enjoyable, exciting; and worthwhile.

And something like that will never change.

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**Well, there's one more chapter before this story finally ends. It's been a long road, and the conclusion will be soon enough. It's sad it does have to end. But you'll just have to wait and be around to read the final chapter! See you then, all!**


	13. Epilogue

**Here it is guys. The final chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

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I had no dreams that night. My mind had been so focused on sleeping that the morning had arrived faster than usual.

I wasn't wasting anymore time this morning. This morning consisted of me waking up, rushing out of my room, getting myself washed up, eating breakfast and literally running out the door. My sister didn't even have time to act as my alarm clock this morning.

And you ask why all this rushing?

I wanted to see Haruhi again. I wanted to see her badly.

Dreams can do a lot to you; especially ones that are so real they almost aren't really dreams. The "dream" I had only yesterday had affected me as such. I had confessed to Haruhi exactly what I felt about her. I told her the very thing I expected never to say to her.

But was that dream real? It's not so much a dream at this point. I have no idea what it really was at all. I just wanted to see Haruhi again. I had a lot I needed to say to her. And none of it involved the SOS Brigade.

I walked fast on my daily morning hike. The goal in mind was to get to school as quickly as possible. Towards the last stretch, I was running towards the entrance of North High; my school bag bobbing up and down as I huffed my way into the building.

I ran up to the stairs, nearly sliding down the hallway as I stopped at the door of classroom. My heart sunk at the sight in front of me. I sighed.

No Haruhi. The seat behind me was empty. This was exactly what I wasn't hoping would happen. I took my seat; desperately waiting for Suzumiya-san to arrive anytime soon. But even as class was approaching its start; I still did not see her. I groaned, before putting my head down in my arms. My eyes felt heavy all of a sudden.

I didn't realize I had slept through class until the bell announcing my lunch break arrived. I groggily looked up; seeing how much time had passed. I shifted my head to see if Haruhi was behind me. Her bag was there; but she was not. I sighed again, content with putting my head back down and resting myself for the duration of this period. I wasn't in the mood to be bothered with Taniguchi or Kunikida anyway.

I must have not gotten any real rest the night before; because I found myself sleeping through the rest of my day as well. While my body slept, my mind still focused on thoughts of Suzumiya-san. I wanted to see her more than anything. It was becoming the only highlight of my day that I would still manage to see her in the clubroom; no matter what.

At the end of my last class, I was already on my way to the club room. I had an anxious look on my face; my brain jumpstarted from the thought of seeing Suzumiya-san. Even I could never predict thinking about her this much or in this way.

My life is very unreasonable sometimes.

I entered the club room quickly. Even as I did, thoughts of preventing universal destruction only then permeated back into my mind. I looked in front of me to see three faces I would see on a daily basis.

Yuki Nagato was reading a book as if nothing had happened. She would flip through each page slowly; scanning words like they were bytes of data. And in Yuki's case; they literally were.

Mikuru Asahina's eyes went wide at the site of me. She was in her maid outfit already, and I had no time to react as she caught me in a very tight hug. I could feel her almost beginning to sob. How long had I been gone?

"Kyon!!" she said in her soft voice; still holding me tightly. As she did this, I noticed that Haruhi was the only one not present in the room, and that the only other occupant was Itsuki Koizumi, who was sitting at the middle table; a smile on his face, and his hands on his lap.

Mikuru finally let go of me, giving me one of her sweet, genuine smiles before returning to her tea brewing. I didn't really give a proper greeting before I sat down in front of Koizumi. I guess my mood was sinking again from not seeing Haruhi as usual.

"Well, I must commend you, Kyon." Itsuki began, putting out his hand towards me. I raised an eyebrow, but quickly got the hint of a handshake. I gave him what he wanted, even though I was a little confused.

"And what exactly are you commending me for?" I asked, wondering how Koizumi was going to explain this one. He simply smiled at me.

"I don't know exactly what you did, but you've solved the problem that we feared would end in catastrophe. Suzumiya-san's internal conflict has been satiated, and we've only been seeing normal instances of closed space since then. I think it's safe to say you've prevented not only the destruction of the world; but the destruction of the omniverse as well."

"The what?" I asked, confused at his last statement. The person who answered my question was none other than Yuki, and she spoke in her autonomous voice.

"The omniverse. It is classified as the total ensemble of all universes and realities of existence. It is larger than even the Integration Data Entity can calculate. As of yet; it is known that some of the universes that are assumed to be spatially close to our contain life forms that are vastly different in their minds and anatomical structures. But it is a fact that they are a product of Suzumiya-san's data manipulation."

Well, that answered a few questions. I had prevented the worst from happening, all because I did something in a dream world that prevented me from being forced into partaking in a teenage fantasy. And now I was being told that Haruhi was not only the center of the world and the universe; but that she was the center of every universe that ever existed. I didn't even know that.

"There is something of particular interest I have realized Kyon." Itsuki said to me, his voice serious but the smile still pasted on his face.

"What is it? More problems waiting to happen…"

"No. Have you ever heard of a thought experiment by the name of Schrödinger's cat?"

"Not even remotely." I responded, beginning to become bored out of my mind.

"Let me explain. The experiment places a cat inside a box, with a possibly radioactive substance and a Geiger counter; along with a flask of poison. If the Geiger counter detects any radiation, the flask will break, releasing the poison into the box and killing the cat."

"And how does any of this relate to Suzumiya-san?" I said, sighing as I held myself up straight to prevent myself from falling asleep.

"If we open the box, we find that the cat is either dead or alive. But if the box remains closed; then the cat remains to be simultaneously alive and dead. It only takes the human opening the box to see the outcome of the cat's fate; otherwise, the fate of the cat remains skewed in a quantum sense."

"Still avoiding my question." I mentioned as I half-listened.

"It's simple. Whatever you did; you prevented the creation of a new universe; as well as the destruction of the universe. It is just interesting to note that somewhere in the infinity of the universe; there is a possibility that you never prevented it, and it occurs anyway. Essentially; there could even be more than one Suzumiya-san out there. But I have a feeling ours is the one who is truly God; whether she knows it or not." Itsuki told me, and I processed most of the information he had given me. Unfortunately, there was a slight problem.

"Yeah…about not telling her…." I said nervously, scratching the back of my head. All three, even Yuki, looked at me like I was guilty of a heinous crime, but Itsuki smiled at me; breaking their stares.

"I doubt she believed you. Suzumiya-san may want nothing less than the extraordinary; but she still has a sense of rational thought. And concerning wherever you may have seen her might have just been some sort of dream, or even her thoughts; makes less of a chance she'll find what you told her credible."

I sighed, but this time in relief. At least I didn't have to worry about that now.

"Well…I didn't see Haruhi today. But I kind of mentioned something important to her when I was with her when I was in that dream place…" I said; standing up and sounding disappointed.

"I have a feeling you will see her sometime today. She will most definitely make it so." Itsuki said, before he too stood up. I assumed that without Haruhi being here; the club had no reason to continue today.

So, we all said our goodbyes; and left.

I walked out of the entrance of North High, my mind swirling from all the information I had received recently. Parallel universes, obscure theories; it all just messed with my head most of the time. I had no idea how Itsuki manages to understand all of it.

I almost couldn't believe the sunset that was beginning to occur behind the school. The sky looked almost painted with an array of orange, pink and red, and the light emanating from the sun looked as if it could almost be unreal. I turned to walk towards home, when I saw the one person I had been looking for all day; only a few feet away.

Haruhi Suzumiya was standing there, as if waiting for something. Or perhaps someone.

There was only one possible someone for her to be waiting for. She was waiting for me.

I knew this was the real world I was currently. God was now waiting for me only a few feet away. My anxiousness would end soon enough. All it took was me approaching her. So, I bucked up my courage, took a big sigh, and called out her name as I walked towards her.

"Haruhi?" I said, and she faced me with energy I hadn't seen in awhile. I could see that look in her eyes. The same one that she would have before she was about to announce something completely ridiculous. That look was making me feel better by the second.

"You're late. There's a penalty, Kyon." She said to me, smiling. I couldn't help but do the same. This was the Haruhi I had missed.

"I didn't know I was supposed to arrive here at all. I didn't see you all day."

"That's because you slept all day."

"I'm surprised you didn't just slam my head on the front of your desk." I retorted, and Haruhi glared at me; her hands on her hips.

"I was being merciful. Especially since you're going to be working hard these next few weeks! I'm done fooling around with the SOS Brigade. Things are going to start to get serious!" she exclaimed back at me.

It was then I noticed how close our faces were. The sunset in the background couldn't have come at a better time. I myself couldn't help but be mesmerized by the perfection that was Suzumiya-san. I think I had probably been staring at her for a minute or two. I could see she was looking at me like I was crazy; but she couldn't help but blush at the same time.

"Stop daydreaming about Mikuru-chan! Kyon! Are you even listenin-"

There was only one thing that could have cut off Haruhi's tirade at this point. It was what I had finally decided to do.

A year ago, I would never have done something like this. I would have never even thought about it. But contrary to popular belief, I was doing it in this very moment. I had decided to take the initiative to shut up Haruhi in the one way I knew I could.

By kissing her. As unreasonable as it sounds; it was the only reasonable soultion.

I can only imagine the expression on Haruhi's face. Surprise was my main guess. But when I didn't feel her struggling against me; or punching me in the stomach, I got the hint she was very okay with it.

I let my eyes open, to only see that Haruhi had hers closed; as if she was completely absorbing this moment. I snapped mine shut; afraid of the consequences of catching me spying on her reaction to my sudden kiss. Nevertheless, it became awkward when she wrapped arms around the back of my neck. That; I did not expect.

We stood in this embrace for a minute or so; the sunset behind us. I didn't care who might see this. I doubted they would ruin the moment anyway. Nothing could ruin something like this.

When we came apart, Suzumiya-san looked at me in awe and wonder. I still don't know if she experienced that very same dream that I had; but I could care less at this point. I was looking into Haruhi's eyes; immersing myself in the amber, liquid orbs.

"You're not a time traveler, alien or esper, Kyon." Haruhi said to me in an annoyed tone; breaking my train of thought and the silence between us after I had just kissed her.

"Are you so sure? For all you know; I could be." I joked; now content with the demeanor the Suzumiya-san was showing. I had missed this part of her old self she had displayed when I first met her.

"I'm not sure at all. But I guess you'll do for now. You're lucky you're a good kisser; or I would have shot you down like all the other humans before you." She told me, before firmly taking me by the hand.

I smiled. I assumed that this was Haruhi's way of telling me she was glad I actually returned what she felt for me. I wasn't surprised. Being used to her constant orders; I knew what she meant when she said certain things. I wasn't completely clueless about the way she showed her emotions.

We walked along now; holding hands as the sun was in the process of setting in the sky. It was a little awkward; but Suzumiya-san took no notice of it; acting as if we'd been dating for months already. I didn't mind all this one bit.

When we reached her house, she still felt as if there was more for her to say.

"Let's get a few things straight. You better listen to everything I say now. And no more perverted thoughts about Mikuru-chan! And you're responsible for calling me Brigade Chief all the time now. You address me as that no matter what!" she said to me; serious and overbearing at the same time.

I didn't so much mind. I only chuckled, which caused Haruhi to just look at me with a little shock.

"Don't worry about it. If that's how you want it; then that's how it'll be."

Haruhi looked surprised that I took in her commands so easily. They weren't so hard to listen to. It really wasn't much of a change of what I normally did anyway. It's just that Haruhi was going to be my significant other now. My girlfriend; to say the least.

"Well…good! Be on time tomorrow, or there will be a penalty as usual!" she exclaimed to me, smiling before she kissed me on the cheek. I expected it, but the sensation still felt warm and soothing on my skin even as Haruhi ran towards the front door of her house.

I watched her go inside; shutting the door behind her, before I headed home.

I lay in my bed now; thinking about everything that happened these last few days.

It was official now. Haruhi and I were technically "together". This would certainly spark a lot in school when it got found out. Because I know that even though I could try to hide it as long as I possibly could; it would still get out.

But I didn't care now. I didn't really care about what people were going to think at all.

Because this was the way it was now. The reasonable universe I had once thought was a reality had ended. I was now in an existence controlled only by Haruhi Suzumiya. There was no escape, and no way of changing it.

But I think I was going to enjoy it. I think I was going to enjoy being this close to Haruhi. I think I might even enjoy hearing what Taniguchi had to say; or having to show physical affection to Suzumiya-san whenever she commanded it. She was certainly brash, forceful and authoritarian. It would be something I could never change.

But I had seen her other side. The side she shows only to me. The side no one else gets to see. And that made me smile.

And so begins another phase of my existence.

I had become God's pacifier. The one thing standing between universal destruction. I was exempt from a regular, boring life. Exempt from going on with an abysmal existence. A year ago, I would have dreaded over this fact. Now; I couldn't help but think how great it was.

There's still time for the SOS Brigade. High school isn't ending yet; and even though I'm Haruhi's boyfriend now; I doubt she'll really treat me much different. Which isn't so bad.

In fact, being the God she is; I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to just make this high school life last forever. The same hike every day, the same boring classes, the same SOS Brigade. The same stupid Taniguchi and Kunikida, along with the same annoying little sister. And I can't forget the same Mikuru Asahina with her fantastic tea, along with the same smiling Itsuki Koizumi, and the same monotone Yuki Nagato.

And most of all; I'd be the boyfriend of the same bossy, arrogant, forceful and pushy Brigade Chief that is Haruhi Suzumiya.

All that; forever and ever. I would be dealing with Haruhi and her eccentric personality for all eternity. I'd be living out this not so normal existence for all of time; if she decided to she wanted that.

As I fall asleep, my mind is already imagining the next day. What does Haruhi have planned next? Something ridiculous and outrageous, I expect. But still; I can't help but think about one thing.

The notion of high school forever with the SOS Brigade and Haruhi Suzumiya.

That might not be so bad. Not so bad at all.

And I will tell you now; I am most certainly not lying.

**_THE END_**

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**Or is it?**

** To be continued in....**

_The Incapability Of Haruhi Suzumiya _

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**Well, it's quite sad; but the story is now over. It was amazingly fun to write. Maybe I'll actually get that deal with Nagaru Tanigawa and he'll turn it into the 11th novel! Yeah right. Not in million years.**

**But all that aside, I want to give a thousand thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this. Every review helped make this a much better story than I thought it would be. I never expected my first venture into anime-based fanfiction would gain so many readers. I have to say; I'm glad and suprised at the same time. But mostly glad. On another note, if you happen to see extra words or phrases in any of the previous chapters; that means I decided to add a little more detail or fix something if I thought it was needed. Just so you all know if you notice any of this.**

**And to reward everyone who liked this; I have decided that I will create a next installment. To keep you all in suspense; I have provided only the title, "_The Incapability Of Haruhi Suzumiya._" I suggest staying tuned for it; because I estimate a release of the first chapter in the near future.**

**But really; thanks for all the support. I couldn't have done it without you readers. **

**So...see you all on the flipside!**

**Hejin **


	14. A Short Sneak Peak

Data is the only sensible way in measuring the contents of the known universe.

It encompasses everything and anything. And above that everything and everything; lies Suzumiya-san.

That's what Yuki Nagato has told me time and time again; albeit in a much more complicated and autonomous way. An alien like her is more prone to explain things in ways a computer might say them; which doesn't always make it completely understandable for the average human being.

If you ask me; Haruhi Suzumiya could be the most unlikely candidate for the position of God. I realize no one really ever asks me; but I can't help but ask myself nonetheless.

I can only imagine the possibilities if Haruhi was actually aware of her true power. I really can't help but say that I don't know what she might do if she really did find out. The worst case scenario might be her deciding to make the world bow down to her power as Brigade Chief. But even I don't think she's that insane. Even she wouldn't go so far as doing something like turning the inhabitants of the world into SOS Brigade members/slaves.

I hope; at least. The thought of Suzumiya-san as the ruler of the world is extremely frightening, actually.

But even with these fearful notions in my head; there has always been one curious question in my mind. It sits at the back of my thoughts; screaming to be answered. It is a question that could only be answered in unfavorable or even catastrophic circumstances.

In fact; it is a question that I'd much rather not answered at all.

What might happen to the world, or the universe; if Haruhi Suzumiya was no longer what some might call God? What would happen if she just became an essentially powerless; but still eccentric, bizarre and slightly rational high school girl?

I will assure you all; I don't think that question is going to be answered anytime soon.

And may Haruhi strike me down with all her power if I'm wrong.

Actually; scratch that last part. I think I'd rather remain intact for now. I do still have a semblance of an extra-ordinary high school life left to live.

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**Well, well, well....what is this we have here? Unfortunately; I cannot disclose anymore. You will all find out soon enough!**

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**_ ~~~~~~The Incapability Of Haruhi Suzumiya~~~~~_**

_ By **Hejin57**_  
_ (Now Playing. :))_  
** Stay tuned.**

(**Ultra-super Disclaimer**: _I own nothing related to The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya at all. That is property of Nagaru Tanigawa._)


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